


Old Scars and New Beginnings

by Dessarious



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Anxiety Attacks, Gen, Major trauma, Mental Abuse, Panic Attacks, Recovery, non-canon, not to be transferred or posted to any other site or third party app without author permission
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-04-23 20:29:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 92
Words: 105,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22135837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dessarious/pseuds/Dessarious
Summary: Marinette has nothing left in Paris, not even Tikki since her Miraculous was taken as soon as Hawkmoth was defeated. Everyone around her, including her parents, believe the worst in her. She's not even sure how she convinced them to allow her to apply for exchange programs but she finally found one that would accept kids with less than spotless records.Gotham is her last chance.For the purposes of this fic ages are as follows:Marinette 16Dick & Barbara 24Jason 17Tim 16Damian 11There is a valid argument for Jason and Tim only being a year apart, feel free to look it up if it's that important to you but this is tagged as Non-Canon for a lot of reasonsInspired by @ozmav's Maribat AUCrossposted on Tumblr @dessarious
Comments: 867
Kudos: 2262





	1. An Unfortunate Arrival

Marinette was doing breathing exercises as the plane touched down. The people around her probably thought she was scared of flying but she was sure no one would guess the real reason. It was so strange being grateful for being in exile and so scared that it would end. All it would take is one wrong word or look and she’d be sent straight back. Her parents had been very clear on that point. She fiddled with the letter in her inner coat pocket, reassuring herself that it was still there, as her mother’s voice went through her head.

“You give this to one of the parents from your host family as soon as you’re off the plane, understand? They need to be made aware of what they’re getting into before you have a chance to make them feel sorry for you.”

She flinched even remembering the words. She couldn’t understand how things had gotten to this point. She’d lost everything, but never had she considered that she could lose her parents in such a manner. The sad part was that she really couldn’t blame them. She’d lied to them even if it wasn’t about the things they’d thought. She really had no one to blame but herself. Now she was in Gotham and she didn’t even know her host families name because it had been changed last minute. The first family didn’t want to deal with a problem child.

She waited until almost everyone else was off before exiting the plane, she figured it would be easier to find the person picking her up if the crowd had thinned out. She also was hoping that fewer people would be there to witness her probable embarrassment once the letter was read. At this point she just hoped that it wouldn’t cause her host family to leave her there to hop a plane straight back to Paris.

She felt she was doing well in keeping back a possible panic attack as she reached customs. The press of so many people was uncomfortable but she didn’t feel short of breath or dizzy. Her thinking was mostly clear. She was starting to congratulate herself on doing so well when it happened. 

She heard breaking glass and screams before anything else registered and before she could look around she was pushed by the crowd around her. She couldn’t see anything. She could feel the panic of the people around her as they tried to get away. She couldn’t move herself and was soon left behind by everyone fleeing. When she took in her surroundings she realized she was on the floor. When had that happened? She heard yelling in English but they were speaking too fast for her to catch all of it. She looked up and saw two of Gotham’s villains holding TSA guards and customs officials at gunpoint.

“Non, non, non…” She hadn’t realized she said it out loud until all eyes turned on her. She flinched and scooted back towards the wall as a full blown anxiety attack started. This couldn’t be happening. She hadn’t been on the ground more than ten minutes and she was already in trouble. How would her parents react? Sure it wasn’t her fault but would that matter? They were going to send her back. Her breathing became shallow and her heart rate skyrocketed. She couldn’t go back.

“Hey kiddo, calm down. We’re not going to hurt you.” She blinked at the figure in front of her trying to focus on them. It was one of the villains, this one in a clown outfit. Her mind fitfully supplied a name; Harley Quinn. She’d done a lot of research on Gotham and that was the only reason she managed that much. “Just breathe with me okay?” 

“I can’t.” Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was rocking slightly. She wanted so badly to transform and run away. She realized with a pang that even if there weren’t people there that wouldn’t be possible. Tikki had been taken from her as soon as Hawkmoth had been defeated. She couldn’t do anything “I can’t.” It came out as more of a whimper that time.

“Sure you can. Just concentrate on my breathing and try to match it.” She noticed the Redheaded villain had joined them and once again her mind less than helpfully supplied the name. Poison Ivy. Having both of them staring at her in obvious concern did nothing to ease her fears. If villain’s were trying to comfort her did that mean they thought she was like them? Did that mean that everyone was right?

“No! You don’t understand.” The words just came out. She was vaguely surprised that they were coming out in English instead of French. “I can’t be here.” The two women just looked confused. “If I’m here, I’ll get in trouble. If I get in trouble they’ll send me back. I can’t go back!” 

The two villain’s just looked at each other but Marinette couldn’t read their expressions. She was too far gone to try. She couldn’t go back. Maybe if she still had Tikki things would be bearable. Maybe. As it was she knew if she had to go back now she’d shatter. 

“You’re not going to get in trouble.” The new voice was soft and sure and Marinette latched onto it like a lifeline. She blinked at the person who spoke trying to figure out where they’d come from. Her mind was trying to make sense of it but she couldn’t for some reason. All that went through her head was; Catwoman. Known to help Batman as often as not. Was she there to stop the others? The two villain’s didn’t seem worried about her being there. She was so confused.

“Yes I will. I always get in trouble.” It was true, for the past three years she’d gotten in trouble for everything. It didn’t matter if she was there or not. It didn’t matter what actually happened. It was always her fault. Why would it be different here?

“Attacks like this happen in Gotham all the time. No one is going to be mad at you for getting caught up in one.” Marinette burst into tears. 

“Yes they will! They always get mad at me. Always blame me. It’s always my fault.” Her voice broke and all she could do was sob. She was only vaguely aware of someone picking her up and only realized she’d been moved once she felt the wind on her face. It didn’t matter though. She couldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop clutching the person who was holding her. This had been her last chance. What was she supposed to do now?


	2. A Cat's Instincts

Marinette came back to reality slowly. The first thing she noticed was that she was still holding on to a person and they were rocking her in a soothing manner. They were humming softly as well but she felt the vibration of it more than she heard it at first. The second thing she noticed was that she was cold. Between the temperature and the wind she was wishing she had more than a long sleeve t-shirt and thin coat on. The last thing that seemed to penetrate were the voices.

“We’re not kidnapping her Batsy! We just needed to get her somewhere quiet where she could calm down. And I’d appreciate it if you left for now. The kid seems to think she’s going to get in trouble so the last thing she needs to see right now is you.” The voice took a minute to register properly but when it did she recognized it as Harley. It took a few more seconds for the words themselves to register. Kidnapped? Batsy? What…

Marinette jumped up as her brain sluggishly caught up. She immediately started panicking again when she saw Batman talking to Harley. Oh god, she was so screwed. She’d been in Gotham less than an hour and she’d already caused enough of a fuss that Batman was staring at her. Her breathing became shallow again and she was unconsciously backing up.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry!” That was all she got out before she choked up again. Her breathing was coming in harsh pants and she was getting dizzy. They were all staring at her and it worried her even more. Later she’d be able to remember the concern on their faces, but right now it just felt like an accusation. The litany began in her head. Worthless, failure, deviant, screwup, pathetic. The words just kept coming and repeating over and over. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. She was still backing up but didn’t notice until she hit air. For a moment she was weightless, until arms wrapped around her again. The same ones that had been holding her earlier.

She could hear yelling but couldn’t make out the words. All she could do was cover her ears and whimper. Weak, useless, burden. The words wouldn’t stop. The pain wouldn’t stop. Too much, it was all too much. When the blackness swallowed her there was a faint hope that it would keep her.

\------------------

“Will you three shut up!” Selina was livid. She’d held back before because she didn’t want to scare the poor girl further but the second the kid passed out, probably from lack of oxygen, she rounded on the others. “All you’re doing is making things worse.” She watched Harley and Ivy exchange a look before muttering apologies. Batman just stood there acting all calm and collected. It took everything in her not to push him off the roof to see if that got a reaction. She looked at the rogues. “You two head out. I’ll take care of the girl.” 

Harley looked like she wanted to protest, and Selina understood. She was the most equipped to deal with this type of situation, but being around the rogues is what set her off in the first place. She ended up just sighing and nodding before she and Ivy took off, leaving her alone with her fiance. She just glared at him until he shifted slightly. 

“You should have listened to Harley. You know damn well they wouldn’t hurt a kid and she’s the most qualified to get a proper read on her mental state. She was starting to calm down until you showed up.” She was still cradling the girl to her chest and couldn’t help but worry over how small and light she was. 

“Perhaps that’s because she has something to hide.” Selina was too dumbfounded to respond at first. Bruce Wayne, the man who made it his mission to adopt the most feral and violent kids possible, was seriously acting like this kid was a menace. What the hell?

“Have you lost your mind? You saw her, you heard her. If she was hiding something it would have come out of her mouth with the way she panicked. What is wrong with you?” He let out a sigh, the one he used when one of his kids was being trying, and the urge to push him off the roof just got stronger.

“Do you remember the call I got last night about a problem child in the exchange program needing a host family?” Of course she remembered. The list of grievances against them had been incredibly long especially given they hadn’t served time in a juvenile facility. But what did that have to do with… no. He couldn’t be serious.

“You’re not seriously going to tell me that this is her?” He just nodded and the girls words from earlier came back to her. ‘They always get mad at me. Always blame me. It’s always my fault’. She’d been willing to believe the file they’d seen when Bruce had shown it to her the night before, but now? Now she had to wonder exactly how this kid, who’d broken down at the mere thought of being in trouble, could be connected to anything they’d been told. “There’s no way she did anything in that file Bruce.”

“You’ve known her for all of half an hour Selina, you have no idea what she’s capable of.” She couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Yeah because he was such a good judge of character. “Either way she’s my responsibility so I wasn’t about to just leave her with Harley and Ivy. If there’s any truth to what we know she’s likely to team up with them.”

“She wasn’t just with Harley and Ivy, she was with me. Do you really trust me so little as to think I would let that happen?” He hesitated. “Oh that’s just priceless! Why are we even still together if that’s the case? I can’t believe you.” She started towards the edge of the roof.

“Selina…” His tone only served to get on her nerves even more. He was lucky she was still holding the girl, Marinette if she remembered the name from the file correctly. 

“Don’t Selina me. I’m taking her home and you can take your superior, self-righteous attitude to bed with you, because I damn well won’t be joining you for awhile.” She made her way across the rooftops until she made it to her car. She placed Marinette gently in the passenger seat and buckled her in before she headed towards the manor. Even unconscious the poor kid was curled into the fetal position. 

When she arrived back at the manor, she immediately took the girl up to the room that had been hastily prepared for her. She was a little shocked to see her luggage before she remembered that Alfred had been tasked with picking her up at the airport. Of course he would have found out about the situation and brought her things here. Selina placed her on the bed before removing her shoes and jacket. When she moved away to put them near the door she heard the girl let out a sound between a whimper and a sob. It broke her heart.

As fast as she could manage, Seline changed and grabbed a couple bottles of water to take back to the room with her. Marinette would likely be dehydrated when she woke up and it was best to be prepared. When she got back to the room the girl looked to be in the middle of a nightmare. She was thrashing, and crying in her sleep. She hurried over and laid next to her in the bed.

“It’s alright kitten. You’re safe now.” She calmed a little bit at her words, and curled into her side. She thought about what she’d first yelled at Harley. At what had started her spiral. “You’re safe. I won’t let them send you back.”


	3. The Letter

Selina had been awake for more than an hour before Marinette started to stir. The girl had seemed exhausted and given how restless she’d been when Selina left before, she didn’t want to wake her or leave. Instead she lay there and thought about the file Bruce had shown her. At the time she hadn’t really thought about it, but now the more she reviewed the information the less it made sense.

That report made the kid look like the devil incarnate. Even after dealing with Damian, Bruce had been worried about accepting her. It was that bad. She’d been accused of everything from basic schoolyard bullying, to assault, to terrorist activity. Never once had charges been filed and that didn’t sit well with her. She’d been expelled from school, and suspended a few times before that, but that was the extent of it. If she’d really done all those terrible things there should have been charges. If they didn’t have enough to charge her it should never have been included in that file. It was just a way to prejudice the people here against her. She couldn’t get answers laying there but she refused to move until Marinette was awake. Who knows what waking in a strange place, alone, would cause. 

Once she felt Marinette start to stir she rubbed her back gently, trying to be a reassuring presence. It seemed to work until she bolted up from the bed, looking around the room wildly. Selina had no idea how much she remembered before she passed out but she could see the terror on her face as she tried to figure out what was going on. She was going to spiral again.

“Marinette.” She kept her voice gentle but the girl still flinched before focusing on her. “My name is Selina Kyle. My fiance, Bruce Wayne, is the one hosting you for the exchange program.” She was hoping that knowing she was where she was supposed to be would help calm her down. It didn’t.

“Oh no.” Selina watched as her eyes darted around the room before landing on her coat. She ran over to it, almost running head first into the wall, before pulling out a letter and staring at it with a horrified expression. It was then that Selina saw Bruce in the doorway. She glared at him, daring him to make a sound before turning towards Marinette. She’d gone pale and Selina was afraid she’d faint.

“Marinette it’s alright, you’re safe.” The girl just shook her head frantically and Selina could see tears gathering in her eyes.

“It’s not okay! I was supposed to give this to my host parent as soon as I landed. Maman insisted on it she said…” The girls words choked off in a sob. And Selina rushed forward to pull her into a hug. What had been done to her to make her freak out like this over a letter? She looked at Bruce over the girls head and noticed his frown was confused, but there was a hint of concern there as well. Good, it was about time.

“What did your Maman say sweetheart?” Selina was rubbing gentle circles on the girls back hoping to soothe her but it seemed to make it worse. Once Marinette found her voice again she understood why.

“She said I had to give it to them first thing, before anyone had a chance to feel sorry for me. But then the attack happened and everyone feels sorry for you when you’ve been involved in something like that. Maman’s going to be so angry with me. She’s going to make me go back.” Selina shared a look with Bruce and for once saw her own thoughts mirrored in his eyes. He cleared his throat causing Marinette to jump back.

“I’ll tell your Maman that you gave it to me as soon as you met me. She can’t think you were negligent and it’s the truth.” His voice was soft in an attempt not to scare her and he held out his hand for the letter. She rushed to put it in his hands, looking so relieved to do so, before standing there with her head down, waiting. It reminded Selina of a dog waiting to be punished and her protection instincts kicked in full force. No one should ever look like that, especially not a child. Bruce was frowning at her as well, though luckily Marinette was to busy staring at the floor to see it. The look might have made her pass out again. Selina cleared her throat pointedly, causing him to look up.

She motioned to the letter in his hand which he opened and began reading. The longer the silence lasted the more tense Marinette got. For his part Bruce looked more and more annoyed and confused as he read. She could tell when he got to the end and was surprised when he went back and started over. It didn’t change his expression.

“Do you know what’s in this letter?” Marinette flinched back, her worried eyes meeting Bruce’s for a moment before bouncing around anywhere but at him.

“No! It was sealed and I swear I didn’t read it.” Selina watched as Bruce tried and failed to make his expression more assuring. At least he tried.

“I didn’t think you had read it. I’m just wondering if you know what your mother wanted to say to me.” She hesitated. Selina could almost see the wheels turning in the girls head, trying to figure out if this was a trap. Such a simple question shouldn’t evoke such a reaction. It made Selina wonder how often the girls words were used against her.

“I… I can probably guess.” She was back to staring at the floor, fidgeting from foot to foot. The words had sounded so defeated. None of this made sense. None of it was right.

“And do you agree with her assessment?” The girl flinched again and Selina was mentally cursing Bruce’s inability to sound reassuring, or even neutral at this point. 

“My opinion doesn’t matter. I just have to do as I’m told and not cause problems. I’m sorry I’ve already been a burden. If I’m allowed to stay I’ll try to do better.” Her tone was meek, almost servile and it was clear that she didn’t think she would be staying. Rather than speak, Selina held out her hand for the letter. Bruce hesitated before giving it to her and she understood why as soon as she started reading.

Dear Sir or Madam.

I would like to apologize for placing this burden on you. No doubt you’ve seen Marinette’s file and know to be watchful of her. She knows that the first sign of improper behavior will get her sent home, though I hold out little hope it will curb her unruly behavior. You have my permission to use whatever methods you deem necessary to keep her in line and I completely understand if you do not wish to take on such a task. As soon as she becomes an inconvenience, or you feel unsafe with her under your roof, contact my husband or myself and we’ll have her on the next flight back to Paris.

I am hoping that being around people who know to watch her and aren’t already emotionally invested in her welfare will help her learn to be a better person. Do not be fooled by her size or innocent appearance. Perhaps if we hadn’t been so sure of her goodness we would have caught the signs early enough to do some good. As things stand, we can only hope she sees the error of her ways. She will use lies and deceit to try and get you on her side. I ask you not to believe any tales or excuses as she will use them to take advantage of your kindness and decency.

I implore you once again to send her back to us as soon as she becomes a problem. We have a school for troubled children lined up that can handle her the way she needs. We gave her this one last chance to turn things around on her own, but we have little faith in her being truly sincere in her wish to do so.

Sincerely,  
Sabine Cheng

There was a second sheet with contact information and well as more specific things to look out for. One of the things was faking panic or anxiety attacks. Selina had an overwhelming urge to fly to Paris and beat this woman. How could anyone think she was faking it? Then Bruce started talking and she had a new target.

“You’re mother claims that you fake panic attacks. Is that what you did last night?” Bruce was studying the girl like she was an experiment. For her part Marinette just shrunk in on herself, shaking. “Answer me.” She started shaking her head and didn’t seem able to speak. “It’s a simple question with a yes or no answer.” Selina was about to snap but Marinette did first.

“If I say yes, it’ll be proof I did something terrible for you to send me back for. If I say no you’ll just assume I’m lying and send me back anyway. My answer doesn’t matter, my words don’t matter, I don’t matter!” Her voice started out strong but by the end she just sounded broken and burst into tears again. She backed herself into a wall before sliding down and hugging her knees to her chest. Selina could see Bruce looking at her suspiciously and finally lost her patience, pulling him out of the room and shutting the door before rounding on him.

“What is wrong with you? You can’t honestly believe she faked that panic attack. She almost fell off the roof!” Bruce was frowning in thought.

“She’s certainly committed, I’ll give her that. Selina you saw the file. Her own mother is warning us against her tricks. You have to admit that’s pretty damning.”

“Yes I saw her file. The real question is did you actually read it? All I saw were accusations and slander with no proof. She’s never been brought up on charges. Even the problems that got her kicked out of school were rumors and hearsay. No one ever saw her do anything.” Bruce gave her a skeptical look.

“So she’s good at covering her tracks. Selina, you can’t just assume the girl is a victim. You have no proof.” Selina had the urge to pound her head against the wall.

“I have just as much proof as you do of her misdeeds. Honestly I expected better of you. Taking other people’s words rather than doing your own research. I thought you were better than that. You can believe what you want but you’re not sending that girl back to Paris. I’ll take full responsibility for her and her actions while she’s in Gotham and you’ll see just how much of a danger she’s not. Ask Alfred to send food up for both of us. The last thing that girl needs is to be grilled further by you and your sons.”

Selina didn’t give him a chance to answer before slipping back into the room. Marinette was in the same position, still crying. Selina grabbed one of the bottles of water she’d gotten the night before and went to sit next to her, pulling the broken girl into her arms. 

“Everything’s going to be alright. I promise.”


	4. Alfred

There was a knock at the door and Marinette huddled closer to the woman next to her. It was so nice to have someone to comfort her for once. She knew she needed to pull herself together. Tikki would be so disappointed if they could she what she’d become. She started trying to control her breathing and Selina just tightened her arms around her.

“Come in.” The woman's voice was clear and confident and Marinette found herself wishing she could be like that. She was once, even if it was only because of Tikki, and she couldn’t help but think about how far she’d fallen. She couldn’t help but wonder why someone like Selina would bother with someone like her. 

The door opened and an elderly man entered carrying a tray. Marinette heard her stomach rumble when she smelled food and flushed in embarrassment. She hadn’t eaten since before she boarded the plane. She couldn’t look either adult in the eye.

“Miss Kyle, Miss Marinette.” She managed to peek up at the man and saw a gentle smile on his face. He placed the tray on one of the bedside tables. “I understand that your parents are bakers Miss Marinette. I hope our bread and pastries will be to your liking.” She felt herself tear up again at the thought of her parents. To even consider complaining would be an act of ingratitude and the fact that he even suggested it made her worry.

“I’m sure I’ll be happy with all of the food.” She was staring at her knees and missed the look between Selina and the gentleman. She flinched when he knelt down next to her.

“My name is Alfred. I’m the Wayne’s butler. If you ever need anything at all you can come find me. I’m here to be of service.” She glanced at him but couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze.

“Thank you sir. That’s incredibly kind and generous of you to offer. Especially to someone like me.” She saw him frown and was instantly worried she’d said the wrong thing again. “I mean… I’m sure you have to say that to any guest and I wasn’t implying that you would neglect your duty in anyway. I just meant that I know what a problem it is to take care of me and I won’t impose on you.” He was still frowning at her. What did she do?

“Miss Marinette.” She started shaking and felt Selina’s arms wrap tighter around her despite knowing how weak it made her seem, she leaned into the comfort. “You are not a problem and you can come to me about anything. Can I get your promise that you’ll at least think about it? And you can come to me anytime you’re feeling worried or overwhelmed. This is going to be your home for the next six months and we all want you to feel comfortable here.”

She couldn’t help the look she gave him that basically called him a liar. She was well aware that no one thought of her comfort anymore. Besides, she was certain that Mr. Wayne didn’t want her to be comfortable. He believed she was everything in her file and he would be afraid if she got comfortable she’d just revert to that behavior. She couldn’t blame him. Rather than get upset at her obvious disbelief, Alfred gave her a kind smile.

“The others will come around. Until they do Miss Kyle and I will see to it you’re properly taken care of.” Marinette didn’t know how to react. She wanted to thank him but she was too choked up with gratitude to do so. She didn’t want to seem rude so she offered him a tentative smile. “I’ll leave you two to eat. I have some things to discuss with Master Bruce. I’ll be back to check on the two of you later.” He was up and out the door before Marinette could really process his last comment. Selina distracted her before she could focus on it.

“Come on. I’m starving, let’s eat.” She stood slowly and offered a hand to Marinette. She took it hesitantly and allowed the woman to pull her up. “How much do you weigh exactly?” The woman was frowning at her and Marinette wasn’t sure what she’d done wrong now.

“I’m… I’m not sure Ma’am.” Selina’s nose wrinkled in disgust and Marinette felt her breathing turn shallow again. Smooth kid, lets piss off the only person who seems to think there’s a worthwhile person under everything.

“You can call me Selina. Ma’am is just too formal.” The warm expression was back on her face and Marinette almost sighed in relief.

“Okay.” Her voice was soft and timid. She’d lost any sort of confidence the moment she lost Tikki. Everything in her normal life had already spiraled out of control by that point and Tikki’s presence was the only thing that was keeping her afloat. Then her parents had started randomly searching her room and monitoring her movements. Once that happened Master Fu decided it was too dangerous to leave Tikki with Marinette. It was amazing how quickly he pinpointed Gabriel Agreste as Hawkmoth after that happened. Selina cleared her throat and Marinette looked up, blushing. She really needed to get it together. The woman may not think she’s a horrible person but if she kept acting this way they would start to think something is wrong with her.

“Where did you go?” The question was gentle. Even her guilty conscious couldn’t find a trace of accusation in it. Marinette still hesitated.

“I was just thinking about some things that happened at home.” She fidgeted with the sleeve of her shirt and couldn't bring herself to make eye contact. Selina didn’t push, she just grabbed a chair from next to the bed and put it in front of the table before guiding Marinette to sit. She could feel tears coming to her eyes at the care she was being shown. It had been so long since anyone besides Chloe or Adrien had even pretended to care about her wellbeing that it was a bit overwhelming. If Selina noticed she didn’t say anything and Marinette was grateful for that.

“I understand that you grew up in a bakery, but Alfred’s pastries are nothing to scoff at. There’s plenty of other things if they aren’t up to standard.” Marinette looked at her in shock before trying to stammer that she was sure everything was fine, but she couldn’t get the words out. Selina smiled at her before taking her hand. “I was trying to kid around with you. I may not have known you long but I can tell you wouldn’t put down someone else’s work even if they deserved it.” 

Marinette gave her a weak smile. Selina let go of her hand and began dividing the food between two plates. Once Selina gave her a plate she tried to eat so as not to seem ungrateful but between her nerves and the fact that she wasn’t used to eating much at once she only managed to eat a small portion of what was in front of her.


	5. Adrien's Call

Alfred walked away from the room annoyed and a bit confused. Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng was nothing like they’d expected. She was thin and pale. Polite but very skittish. She seemed constantly on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Trying to reconcile that girl with anything that was in the file they were sent was impossible. He knocked when he got to Master Bruce’s office, but didn’t wait for an answer as he knew he was expected.

“So did you manage to talk some sense into Selina?” He raised an eyebrow at the man. He was a bit surprised that even after talking to the girl Bruce could be so sure of things.

“Miss Kyle is perfectly capable of thinking for herself Master Bruce, though I’m beginning to wonder if you are.” He heard a scoff from his left and looked over at Master Damian. The boy held scorn on his face.

“Not you too. I would have thought you’d be able to separate the truth from the lies.” They really need to get that boy to understand he didn’t know everything, nor was he always right. It was rather draining to be around him to be honest. 

“Given you haven’t even met the girl Master Damian, I don’t believe you can claim an authority on the subject.” He turned back to Bruce but Damian refused to let him have the last word.

“I read her file, same as everyone else. Having her here is dangerous. She has ties to terrorism.” That accusation was the one that had them the most worried. Now that he’d seen the girl, Alfred felt it was the least likely to be true unless she was forced to it. Given her current mental state it was a possibility.

“Accusations with no proof and no explanation of what terrorist she supposedly has ties to. That hardly seems like damning evidence. There was nothing it that file to prove she did anything. Just a bunch of rumors and assumptions. I’d like to hear her side of things before I decide what is and is not true.” Damian scowled at him and was going to retort, but Dick came rushing in the room.

“Bruce, you’ve got a video call. They say it’s urgent.” Bruce frowned at his oldest, but Alfred thought Dick looked confused.

“And who exactly are they?” Dick hesitated before answering Bruce’s question.

“He claims to be Adrien Agreste, but last I knew I thought that kid was a model.” Alfred didn’t have time to wonder about the odd statement before Bruce pulled up the feed. He’d only seen Gabriel Agreste’s son a few times at events and the teen on the screen certainly looked like an older version. It was a bit hard to tell, and obvious why Dick questioned who he was, because of multiple scars. The worst ran the length of his face on the left side bisecting his eye which had milky white pupil. 

“M. Agreste what can I do for you?” The boy’s lips twisted in disgust.

“Please, just call me Adrien. I only gave my last name so you’d be more likely to talk to me.” Well that was interesting. Gabriel had never seemed to be an attentive father to the boy but the animosity in Adrien’s tone said it went far beyond that.

“Alright. What is it you wanted to talk to me about Adrien?” Bruce was all business but Alfred could see Dick out of the corner of his eye practically bouncing with curiosity. 

“It’s been brought to my attention that you are Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s guardian while she’s in Gotham. Is that correct?” Alfred saw a faint tightening of Bruce's mouth that indicated his displeasure, but otherwise his face was impassive.

“I don’t know where you got that information, but if it’s true you can be assured that I am aware of Miss Dupain-Cheng’s history and will act accordingly.” He apparently had decided that Adrien was calling to warn them about their charge but he was quickly proved wrong.

“If you’re talking about the work of fiction you were sent with her school records you know nothing. If you treat her in accordance to it you’ll just be adding to the abuse she’s already suffered.” He was scowling at them all. Damian just scowled back, Bruce looked taken aback, but Dick took the opportunity to let some of his curiosity burst through. 

“You seem awfully sure of that given that the file is supposed to be confidential.” Adrien just shot him a bland look. 

“Mari sent it to me when she was looking for exchange programs. She knew that it would be difficult to find anywhere that would even look at her with that attached. It’s why I suggested Gotham. Given the cities reputation few people will want to go there which made her chances better.” It was solid reasoning, Alfred had to give him that.

“And what makes you think the things in the file are false? Because she told you they were?” Adrien actually rolled his eyes at Damian’s combative question. It was a bold move whether he knew it or not.

“I know because I was there. I was in her class and witnessed everything that happened. I even gave a statement to the police but it’s mysteriously absent. Pretty much everything in that file is the delusions of petty, jealous teenagers.” Alfred could see the boy’s temper rising by the second, but decided they needed to ask about the most pressing issue.

“And the accusation of working with terrorists?” The boy snorted in derision and waved it off like it was meaningless.

“Mari had the misfortune of winning a design contest of my father’s, being in the same class as me, and hiding too well whenever there were Akuma attacks. Once my father was unmasked and sent to prison accusations started flying everywhere. Mari was an easy target because she was already an outcast. She was also one of the three people who didn’t immediately cut all ties with me and assume I knew anything about my father’s actions.”

Alfred shared confused looks with Bruce and Dick. Damian was still trying to intimidate Adrien by glaring at him. It wasn’t working and Alfred took more pleasure than he probably should have at the boys frustration. Finally Bruce spoke.

“Are you saying your father’s a terrorist?” Adrien blinked at him and his expression said he thought they were all idiots.

“Of course. He was using a magical object to reign terror on Paris for almost three years. He was found out six months ago and is now rotting in prison where he belongs.” Dick had his phone out, no doubt texting the information to Tim and/or Barbara to see what they could find. Bruce just took a deep breath.

“Was it your father who gave you those scars then?” Adrien’s expression dropped into cold rage.

“No. This was a gift from the citizens of Paris who refused to believe I knew nothing of my father’s activities even after I was cleared by the police. It’s why I was forced to emancipate myself, liquidate my father’s company and leave the country. During my stay at the hospital Marinette was one of two people, not counting my bodyguard, who came to visit me. It was that act of kindness that started rumors of her working with Hawkmoth.” Adrien glared at them all with his good eye. “Mari is the sweetest, kindest, most giving, and most caring person I’ve ever met. After everything she’s been through she still thinks the best of others. The sad part is that in order to reconcile that to the way she’s treated she believes that there must be something wrong with her for others to do what they do.” 

Alfred thought about his interaction with the girl, as well as the tape from the airport. The way she was always apologizing, always assuming people would blame her. It fit far better with Adrien’s story than the file they’d read. Bruce still wasn’t satisfied.

“And what about her parents? How could they be so deceived by others if what you’re saying is true?” Adrien had a pained look on his face.

“I’m honestly not certain what it was that caused that rift. It was always too painful for Mari to talk about. She loved her parents and thought that even if she lost all her friends at school she’d at least still have them. She was inconsolable for a week after they first started accusing her of things. Chloe and I were afraid to leave her alone for fear of what she might do to herself.” Alfred couldn’t see any sign of deceit in the boy. He had raised far more questions than given answers starting with what exactly had gone on in Paris? But more than that it solidified Alfred’s belief that Miss Kyle was right about the girl and he was going to help her whether the rest of the family agreed or not.


	6. Adrien's Threat

“And what proof do you have? You claim everything in that file is just hearsay, but how is what you’ve told us any better?” Alfred had never in his life wanted to muzzle a child. Master Damian was making him come close.

“You can look up all the information on my father and his trial. As to the statements from our former classmates feel free to talk to them yourself and see what you think. Actually if you know any good hackers, and I’m sure you do, you can get into the police files and actually see their interviews. It’s like watching a pack of rabid hyenas going after a carcass.” Alfred noticed Dick sending another text. If Tim and Barbara were both working on it they’d have all that information within the hour.

“Master Adrien would you happen to have any suggestions on things to help Miss Marinette remain calm?” Damian looked like he wanted to press the issue but Alfred was done with his interruptions. Adrien frowned at him.

“What happened?” Bruce shot Alfred a warning look which he promptly ignored.

“There was an attack at the airport right after she landed. She seems to think that she’ll get in trouble for getting caught up in it and get sent home.” Alfred watched the boy pale and sit closer to the monitor.

“Mari didn’t get hurt did she? What kind of attack was it?” His genuine concern for the girl was obvious. 

“Miss Marinette is fine physically, though she did suffer a bit of a mental meltdown.” Damian made a noise of derision and everyone glared at him. He mumbled something at no one and began studying the bookshelf. “That’s why I was wondering if there was anything you could recommend.” The boy frowned and still looked extremely distressed.

“Physical contact from someone she trusts is best, but it seems unlikely you can manage that. She’s been closing herself off more and more so she doesn’t let many people in. If she has one of her sketchbooks, keep it close to her. If not, buy one for her to use. Designing keeps her calm as long as no one comments on it or the time she spends on it. She also has a tendency to stress bake and that seems to help.” Alfred nodded and made note of the suggestions. He wasn’t sure he could get her to leave her room to get to the kitchen at this point, but the sketchbook was certainly a possibility and she seemed fine around Miss Kyle.

“Thank you for the information.” Bruce had apparently had enough of being ignored and cleared his throat.

“Adrien, I appreciate your calling and will take what you say under advisement. I will certainly look into your claims.” The boy just glared at him.

“Be sure you do. And just know that if I find out you’re not treating Mari with the kindness and love she deserves, We’ll be forced to take matters into our own hands.” His voice held a hard edge. It was a tone Alfred knew well and wondered what else had happened to to boy for him to have it.

“Are you threatening me?” Bruce just sounded incredulous.

“Yes.” That was it, then he hung up.

“How dare that-” Alfred cleared his throat.

“Master Damian that is enough.” The boy merely huffed and crossed his arms. He would deny doing something so juvenile as pouting but that’s exactly what it was. “Perhaps Master Bruce, you’ll be willing to admit Selina might have a point in the disagreement?” 

“Perhaps. We’ll see what Tim and Barbara dig up. What I want to know is, if Agreste’s story is true how did we not know about it?” Of course that would be what he focused on.

“Master Bruce.” He waited for the man to look him in the eye. “The situation in Paris has been resolved. There is no urgency there. Miss Marinette on the other hand is in very real destress here and now. Perhaps you could focus on that for the time being?” He loved the man like a son, but sometimes his inability to prioritize properly made him want to beat some sense into him. 

“Fine. But we’re getting to the bottom of this Paris problem too. For all we know there’s still a danger. He claimed magic was involved and you know how pervasive things of that nature tend to be.” His prejudice against all things supernatural was also a subject of contention. 

“Of course. I’m going to go check on Miss Kyle and Miss Marinette. You will excuse me.” None of them looked his way as he left. He pulled up the recording of the conversation on his phone and sent it to Miss Kyle so she cold review it later. When he got to Miss Marinette’s room he knocked and waited. Nothing. He carefully cracked the door open and saw them both on the bed. Miss Marinette was once again curled up against Miss Kyle asleep. Miss Kyle was watching something on her phone with headphones in. Alfred assumed it was the video he sent. Without making any noise he closed the door and headed back down stairs. He’d collect the tray and check on them later.


	7. The Interview

Marinette had started to drift off again while she was still eating so Selina moved them both to the bed. The girl seemed to need the physical contact and Selina figured she could use the time to figure out exactly how she wanted to maim her fiance if his attitude didn’t improve soon. When Alfred sent her the video she was close to drifting off herself, but this was a far better use of her time.

Once she’d watched the whole thing once she texted Barbara and asked to be sent anything they found. She would do it. Tim would ask Bruce if it was okay first and she didn’t want to deal with that headache. The second time she watched it was to watch Adrien’s body language and listen for inconsistencies, just in case. She didn’t see anything suspicious and if not for the girl curled up against her side she would have let out a little cheer when he not only threatened Bruce, but didn’t back down when challenged. She’d have to get his number from Alfred so she could talk to him more in depth about what had happened. Chances of Marinette being able to answer without more strain on the poor girl were slim to none.

Soon she started getting emails from Barbara. There was a lot of information to go through but it wasn’t like she had anything better to do. The more she saw, the more nauseous she became. Adrien was right about the interviews with their class. It was clear they had it out for Marinette and the police didn’t seem to care to get facts along with all the accusations. Watching those and then the interview with Adrien was like getting whiplash. Every claim he made they demanded proof, which he gave them. The longer it went on the more frustrated the officers became. She assumed most of it was their prejudice against him because of his father but it was still disturbing to watch.

\-------------------

The rest of the family was in the Batcave. While Selina was focused on Marinette, Bruce and his sons were focused on Hawkmoth and the heroes, much to Alfred’s displeasure. He listened to them debate things like where their powers came from or how no one had known about it. Things that, considering it was over, didn’t matter at present. 

“Master Bruce.” They all turned to look at him. “While this is a fascinating subject Hawkmoth has been caught and Paris is no longer under threat. There is nothing you can do to help now. Meanwhile there is a young lady upstairs who desperately needs our help and you’re all ignoring her.” There was obvious censure in his tone and most had the good sense to look ashamed. To no one’s surprise, Damian did not.

“And what if she really was working with this Hawkmoth person? What if she has whatever gave him his powers? How do you know Paris is safe? The man could break out and terrorize the city again if he’s meta. There are too many factors for you to make the assumption that nothing is currently going on in Paris.”

“Unlike you Master Damian, I read the full case report. Hawkmoth got his powers from magical jewelry which was taken from him by the heroes of Paris. Therefore he has no powers and is unlikely to escape from prison. As to Miss Marinette working with him there is absolutely no proof of that. All I saw were accusations based on the fact that she ran away from danger rather than towards it. Last I checked being sensible wasn’t a terrorist act. Though I can see why her classmates might take it as one given they don’t seem to have acquired any themselves.” 

He expected an argument but Damian was content to grumble to himself before heading to the other side of the cave to train. He noticed Dick was looking more closely at Marinette’s file and Bruce was going through the class interviews and taking notes. A notification came up on his phone with a message from Selina. It was a link to an interview with Sabine Cheng. That was sure to be interesting. He put it up so they all could watch it and by the end, they were all speechless.

Mme. Cheng was already in tears when the video started. The first few minutes she was blaming herself for being a bad parent and trying to figure out where everything went wrong. The officers were sympathetic but did finally get to the actual questions. They asked her to take them through the events that had led her to believe her daughter could be involved in less than legal activities.

She claimed it started when a couple of her classmates came in saying Marinette had been canceling plans last minute, or just not showing up. Then they started to complain that she was getting selfish and secretive. She didn’t want to believe such things but when she started paying attention to her daughter’s actions she started seeing the same thing. Marinette was never where she was supposed to be. She would forget about helping in the bakery or that she’d agreed to babysit for one of her friends. 

So they started to restrict her movements. School and home. If she wanted to spend time with friends they could come to the house but she was not to leave it. Sabine would go to check on Marinette in her room and the girl would be gone. Her parents didn’t know how and when they confronted her about it she either lied or didn’t say anything at all. Most of her disappearances lined up with Akuma attacks. They didn’t notice at first and had no idea what it could mean until her class started accusing her of working with Hawkmoth after his defeat.

Since the house arrest didn’t work they put a stop to her business as well. They refused to let her take on any commissions until she told them the truth. That didn’t work either. So they just kept taking things away and further restricting her movements but nothing seemed to help. They just didn’t know what else they could have done.

When the interview ended the cave was silent. Tim was already looking something else up but everyone else was processing. It was Jason who broke the silence.

“You know what that sounds like?” Bruce just raised an eyebrow at the boy. “It sounds like us.”


	8. Professional Advice

After watching the interview with Sabine, Selina had to calm herself. The woman had sounded genuinely concerned about her daughter, but at the same time seemed unable to read her character at all. Granted she had only just met Marinette, but believing she was working with a terrorist? There was no way. 

Her thoughts were thankfully interrupted by her phone ringing. The distinctive ring tone helped her mood just because it was another ally in this fight.

“Hey Harley, what’s up?” She kept her voice low in order to not disturb Marinette, though to be honest she didn’t think anything short of shaking her would do that.

“Same old. How’s the kid?” Selina sighed and debated how much to share. She knew Harley was the last to judge and given her background she was probably the best suited to give advice. Before she even realized what she was doing she launched into everything she knew about Marinette and her situation. Once she got to the end, there was silence on the other end of the line. She waited, knowing that Harley was just putting her thoughts together. Selina decided to throw in a final thought.

“I think she’s reacting so strongly now because she’s spent the last three years holding everything in because of that magical terrorist. When your emotions can be weaponized maybe it’s just easier to pretend they don’t exist. Marinette seems the type to be so afraid of hurting people that she’d do anything to avoid being used like that.” Harley hummed in agreement before she spoke.

“I’m sending you info. Some of it’s for Marinette on calming techniques and journaling to heal. She really should be seeing a therapist regularly, but that’s for her to decide when she feels up to it. I’m also sending some articles on preventing and helping people out of panic attacks for you to reference. If you two aren’t getting enough support where you are, just say the word and we’ll come kidnap you.” Selina couldn’t help but smile. She knew very well Harley would make good on that promise if she had to.

One of the things she had in common with Harley and Ivy was how they felt about kids. You didn’t mess with them ever. Harley especially had a soft spot for street kids. Which reminded her…

“You still in contact with Syd?”

“Of course, she threatens to get expelled once a week minimum, why?” Harley sounded fondly exasperated. Syd was a good kid but she couldn’t stand being in a controlled environment. Selina couldn’t blame her given that she’d been on the streets most of her life. Playing well with others and following directions were not her strong suit.

“Marinette’s going to Gotham Academy, she got a scholarship to the exchange program which is why she’s here. I was wondering if you could ask Syd to look out for her. Might do them both some good.” 

“Definitely. Syd could use someone to mother and your girl probably won’t be very outgoing at first. The only problem I can see is that Syd might break someone’s arm or other random body parts if people are mean to the kid.” Selina considered it for a moment but decided it was worth the risk.

“I doubt things will escalate that far, and if they do I’ll do what I need to to bail her out. Mari needs someone on her side and I don’t really trust any of the boys. Even if they get their heads out of their asses they’re still boys and none of them are great at being any type of emotional support.” Harley laughed and relayed what she’d said to Ivy. Soon Selina could hear them both cackling in the background. 

“I’ll talk to Syd tomorrow. When that kid gets to school she’ll get the bubble wrap treatment.” Selina actually snorted at that comment. She was right though. One look at the poor girl and Syd would go into protection mode. 

“Thanks Harley, I owe you.”

“Nah you don’t. Not for this. So when do we get to visit?” Selina hesitated. Given Marinette’s reaction to them the first time around… a second meeting probably shouldn’t happen soon.

“She terrified of doing something wrong and being sent back home. Given that she was accused of working with a terrorist, consorting with people on the wrong side of the law will likely just trigger her again. I promise as soon as she’s ready we’ll set something up.” 

“Yeah, fair enough. It’s a shame though, no one’s going to be able to show her a better time than we would.” Selina didn’t even want to think about that. Bruce still hadn’t forgiven her for participating the last time Harley and Ivy decided to show someone a good time. So what if there was a warehouse that was now a mini forest. It’s not like anyone was using it anyway. It’s not like she helped them rob a bank or anything.


	9. Taking Sides

“Please that girl is weak and pathetic. She’s nothing like us.” Damian’s outrage at the idea was obvious. “Well, maybe a bit like Drake.”

“Oh, ha ha.” Tim didn’t even look up from the computer at the boys barb. Bruce just let out a frustrated sigh before looking at Jason.

“Why don’t you explain what you mean.” He was pretty sure he knew, but wanted to make sure. 

“Disappearing with little or no notice. Hardly ever being spotted during attacks. Ridiculously sleep deprived.” Tim let out a ‘hear, hear’ still not looking up from the screen, Bruce just rolled his eyes. “We do the same things all the time to change and go out to fight. I’d say if she’s not one of Paris’ heroes, she was helping them in some way, and for whatever reason she couldn’t tell anyone about it.”

“By that reasoning she could have just as easily been working with Hawkmoth the way people claimed.” Tim scoffed into his keyboard.

“I doubt it. When Gabriel was arrested he was very straightforward about everything and actually did name his accomplices including a girl that was in Marinette’s class. One Lila Rossi. Why would he name one but not the other? What would he gain from it?” It was a good point, but not proof.

“Perhaps it was because of how close she is with Adrien. Perhaps he didn’t want to name her and further injure his son. Or perhaps he was planning on Adrien continuing his work and left Marinette to be his accomplice. It’s all just conjecture.” Alfred gave him a disappointed look but it was Jason who responded.

“You’re right, it’s all guesswork. There’s no reason to believe she’s guilty or innocent so why do you immediately assume guilt? We’ve all been demonized at one point or another so I know you know what it’s like to have everyone turn against you when you’ve done nothing to deserve it. Why would you put someone else through that when you aren’t sure of their guilt?” Bruce frowned at them all.

“Because it’s my job to protect all of you. I have to assume the worst in order to keep you all safe. I can’t take the risk of trusting her with no hard evidence.” The girl was a stranger living in their home for six months. At the end of that time he wouldn’t be able to continue keeping an eye on her so any information she gained about them could be used to harm them. There was too much at stake. No one looked happy with his response.

“We could just talk to her. See how her story lines up with what we’ve found.” The suggestion came from Dick but Alfred shook his head immediately.

“Miss Marinette wouldn’t even confide in her parents. She let the two people who loved her most believe the worst in her. There’s no way she’d just open up to strangers. Not to mention if Master Jason is right about her helping, or god forbid, being one of the heroes trying to force her to talk is just going to worsen her trauma.” Jason and Tim shared a look. Bruce could tell that they’d already decided Marinette was on the right side of things. He wished he could afford to take that chance.

“Then what do you suggest we do Alfred?” He was tired and more than just physically. Being hypervigilant all the time, being forced to expect the worst in people, it was draining. Unfortunately someone had to be prepared for the worst and he wouldn’t force any of his children to live that way.

“For now nothing. Miss Kyle seems to have bonded with her so let them be for now. In the meantime we keep digging. Hopefully Miss Marinette will get to the point that she’s willing to share what happened, but for now we simply leave her be.” Damian glared at the butler. If Damian wasn’t careful Alfred was likely to spike his food with ipecac and Bruce wouldn’t blame him for it.

“So we just let her have free run of the manor? What if she was sent to spy on us? It’s ridiculous that you even allowed her here and now you want us to just let her roam as she pleases.” Alfred just gave a long suffering sigh.

“I said no such thing Master Damian. While I believe the chances of her leaving her room alone are slim to none I have set up an alert in case she does so. At no point will she simply be allowed to wander.” His tone sounded like he was talking to a small child and Damian bristled at the offence. 

“Barbara, you’ve been awfully quiet. What’s your take on our guest?” Barbara looked up and just stared at him for a moment. Well there was one more on her side.

“I think that girl has already suffered more than enough. We should be trying to lessen her problems not add to them. With that in mind I think Damian should be banned from going near her.” Jason and Tim both laughed but cut off quickly when she glared at them. “This isn’t a game or a joke. That poor kid has some of the worst anxiety I’ve ever seen. Anything we can do to lessen that should be done. I also think that Bruce should stay away from her for a bit until Selina can keep her calm and conscious for more than an hour.” Bruce frowned at that bit of information.

“How do you know what’s going on in the girls bedroom?” He really hoped they hadn’t installed cameras in the bedrooms without his knowledge, 

“Selina’s been keeping me informed.” Of course she had. So not only did he have to worry about Selina stabbing him in his sleep, now he had to hope Barbara didn’t run him into an ambush just to teach him a lesson. Why had he allowed Alfred to accept this kid into the house again?


	10. Burdens

The next time Marinette woke it was midafternoon. Selina was still there and while Marinette felt safe with the woman she felt guilty for wasting so much of her time. Selina shouldn’t have to drop everything just because she couldn’t keep it together for more than five minutes at a time.

“Alfred should be up with more food soon.” Marinette started at the woman’s voice and pulled away from her. 

“I’m not really hungry.” Ever since Master Fu had taken her Miraculous back her appetite had all but vanished. Now that she wasn’t partly responsible for charging a god powered magical artifact, her metabolism seemed to have slowed to a crawl. Selina gave her a concerned yet stern look.

“You need to eat. You’re far too thin to be skipping meals. If you’d prefer to space it out rather than have large meals we can do that.” Her tone was gentle and Marinette’s guilt just got worse. Selina was being so accommodating and she didn’t deserve it. She’d been nothing but trouble for the woman. Marinette turned her face away so the woman wouldn’t see the tears she was holding back and practically ran to the bathroom. 

She all but collapsed on the sink, holding herself up with her arms. She refused to start crying again. Instead she took deep breaths trying to center herself. When she looked up and saw herself in the mirror those breaths turned ragged. The litany of insults that had been running through her head for over a year kicked in full force just like it always did when she was faced with her reflection. All the taunts and jeers, the accusations and threats just piled on her. Wave after wave until she just wanted to escape. She stumbled back until she hit the door and sank to the floor as her legs gave out. 

She needed to pull herself together. She couldn’t be a burden on her host family the way she had been on her parents. She wasn’t Ladybug anymore so there was no reason for her to be less than perfect. She had to do better.

\--------------------

Selina watched Marinette disappear into the bathroom with a frown trying and failing to understand what had upset the girl. Perhaps she’d taken the comment about her being too thin as an insult? That didn’t seem right though. There was a knock on the door before she could contemplate it further. She expected Alfred to walk in with a tray of food but what she didn’t expect was to see Dick walk in after him.

“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to be here.” Marinette was fragile enough already and while Dick was by far the least of evils from the bat boys, she still didn’t think the girl was ready to deal with any of them yet. Dick shot a concerned look around the room. “She’s in the bathroom.”

“Look Selina I get that you and Bruce disagree with how to handle the situation and I’m not about to get in the middle of that. I just want to introduce myself to the girl. We agreed that it would be better to space out the introductions so she doesn’t get overwhelmed.” Selina was honestly surprised they’d thought of that. Looking between Dick and Alfred though she had the feeling they didn’t.

“Tell Barbara it was a good idea.” Alfred gave a small smile and Dick just let out an annoyed sigh.

“You know, we do occasionally have good ideas on our own.” Selina just huffed.

“Perhaps, but this wasn’t one of them.” He just stuck his tongue out at her in response. Every last one of those boys demonstrated the emotional range of a teaspoon and while she knew they were capable of empathy, well not Damian but the others, they normally had their own baggage piled so high on top of it you couldn’t see it. Hell, half the time they couldn’t find it and the other half they thought showing it was a weakness. It was frustrating to say the least.

Alfred left the food on the table before leaving Dick and Selina to wait for Marinette. The silence became awkward quickly and Dick seemed to feel the need to whistle to fill the silence. Selina was less than thrilled.

“So what’s the general consensus?” Dick just looked confused by her question and she rolled her eyes. “Bruce has made it clear how he feels but I’m wondering about the rest of you.”

“You shouldn’t be so hard on Bruce, he’s just being cautious.” The glare she shot him got him off that subject. “For the rest of us… Damian is Damian. I think she’s been traumatized by everything that’s been going on in Paris. Jason and Tim both seem to think she either was working with or was actually one of Paris’s heroes. Personally I think it’s unlikely. I don’t see how someone who suffers anxiety attacks as bad as she seems to, would be capable of being a hero.” 

Selina just frowned at him. She’d been too focused on the girl herself to consider much about Paris’s heroes. Thinking back on Sabine’s interview as well as all her classmate’s complaints about her being unreliable and not meeting their every whim - she was only slightly exaggerating and still beyond pissed at how entitled those kids were - she could see why Jason and Tim would think it was a possibility. 

She frowned in thought. Marinette was sixteen now. That would mean she was thirteen when the attacks started. She could only hope that the two bat boys were wrong about the girl. If not then there was far more damage than even she’d considered. The poor girl didn’t deserve to carry that burden, but Selina had a bad feeling that’s exactly what happened.


	11. Impressing Dick

As Marinette stepped out of the bathroom, she froze with her hand on the door knob. Seeing Selina talking with a man she hadn’t seen before made her want to run and hide again. She stood there and tried to overcome the urge, or at least make a decision, but she was frozen in place. The man noticed her first and offered a smile.

“Hey there! I’m Dick Grayson, Bruce’s oldest, it’s nice to meet you.” Marinette just looked at the man warily, still clutching the door knob. She knew it was impolite not to answer. She knew she needed to make better impressions on people. She still couldn’t move or talk and now she felt like she was going to burst into tears again as well. What was wrong with her?

She watched as the expression on Dick’s face changed from cheerful to worried and sympathetic. Selina also seemed concerned. Say something you idiot! The voice in her head sounded suspiciously like Plagg for some reason.

“Hi.” One word, one syllable, and her voice still cracked even if it was barely audible. But she’d managed to respond so she would count it as a win for now. She closed her eyes and tried to even out her breathing. She could do this.

“Hey, it’s okay…” She felt a hand on her arm and reacted instinctively, grabbing and twisting the offending appendage up and behind the owners back before pinning them to the wall. She blinked until everything came back into focus and realized it was Dick and he was looking back at her with a shocked expression. Selina was just gaping at the scene in front of her. Oh no. 

“Oh god, I’m sorry.” Marinette let go and backed up until she hit another wall. “I’m so, so sorry.” How was it possible for her to be such a screw up? She’d just assaulted her hosts son. They would send her back for sure. “I didn’t mean to… I just… I don’t.” Selina was next to her in an instant, pulling her into a hug.

\----------------------------------

“Shh, it’s okay. Everything’s going to be fine.” Selina shared a look with Dick as she tried to comfort the girl. The fact that her initial reaction to being touched, specifically touched by a male, was to lash out like that worried her to no end. Dick just looked shocked, though if she had to guess it was because the girl had actually pinned him.

“Holy shit that was awesome! Can you do that again?” Selina rolled her eyes and gave an exaggerated sigh. Boys. She felt Marinette stiffen and glared at Dick. He just shrugged back at her. “What? I don’t think I’ve ever had someone incapacitate me that fast before, it’s impressive.” Selina swore she could feel Marinette’s confusion and watched as the girl peeked out at Dick.

“You’re not mad at me?” The words were soft and slightly hopeful. Dick’s expression softened and when he spoke it was sincere.

“Of course not. This is Gotham so it’s actually nice to know you can defend yourself if you need to. Where did you learn to fight?”

“It’s just… something I picked up.” The words sounded weak and she hunched in on herself again. It was obvious she was hiding something, and miserable doing so. Between that and the way she’d gone at Dick, Selina was starting to think Jason and Tim’s theory had some merit. 

“We should spar! I can show you some moves, or you could show me some maybe.” HIs tone was teasing but Marinette still looked wary. Seriously sparring? Selina had the urge to shake him and remind him that the girl wasn’t one of his brothers.

“Maybe.” That was it, but she did finally step back from Selina and face Dick on her own so she’d count it as progress.

“So what do you like to do? Your friend Adrien said something about designing?” Her head shot up at that and she just stared wide eyed at Dick.

“How do you know Adrien?” Her voice was low and threatening. Well that was new.

“He called to check on you.” She looked at him suspiciously as if trying to gauge the truthfulness of his words. 

“So you didn’t know him before?” Dick just blinked at her.

“No?” Marinette narrowed her eyes at him and suddenly Selina could see why someone might think she’s dangerous. She was obviously protective over her friends and given what happened to Adrien, probably overly protective of him especially. Dick actually looked nervous. “No, I think Bruce and Alfred may have met him at functions before? But I’ve never met him personally.” He seemed to hold his breath after he finished speaking, waiting for her response.

“Okay.” She was still frowning at him, but seemed to believe him. After a few moments of silence, Dick cleared his throat nervously.

“So, designing huh?” Selina could only shake her head. She watched as Marinette shrugged uncomfortably. 

“Yeah it’s… it’s just a hobby of mine.” Selina frowned at that. From the research she’d been doing the girl had some big name clients in the past. That was more than a hobby. Marinette seemed eager to get away from the topic though, even going so far as to ask Dick questions about his life. One more thing to puzzle over.


	12. Jason's Blunder

Dick wandered back to the Batcave in thought. She wasn’t at all what he’d expected. He still couldn’t believe she’d pinned him. He was no longer a hundred percent certain that Jason and Tim’s theory was wrong. Everything about Marinette was a contradiction and he couldn't decide if it was suspicious or just sad. 

“So has she managed to win over the gullible sap?” Dick could only sigh at Damian’s words before he looked at that boy leaning on the wall.

“Well she hasn’t tried to kill any of us yet so she’s definitely higher up on the likability scale than you and you’re still here, so I suppose you could say so.” Damian just scowled at him before stalking away. They really needed to keep him away from Marinette. Dick wasn’t sure what she was or what she’d been through but no one deserved to have the Demon Spawn unleashed on them except maybe the Joker. Maybe. When he entered the cave Tim was still in front of the computer as usual.

“Find anything useful?” He watched Tim’s eyebrows knit together in annoyance. The researching must not be going well. 

“No. It’s like all the news footage and articles on what happened in Paris were purged somehow. There are vague mentions of minor things but nothing to corroborate what Adrien said except the notes from his father’s trial. This is why I hate magic. It makes everything far too complicated.”

“So you believe what Adrien said then?” Tim glared at him and Dick raised his hands in defense. “I’m just checking. I doubt the kid would make those things up I just wanted to see where you fell on the issue. Maybe we could ask Diana if she knows of any magic that could have done what you’re seeing.” Tim cocked his head to the side in thought.

“Perhaps. I’d like to do more research first. Maybe contact Adrien to see if he’ll give me more information. I’d ask the girl but knowing my luck she’ll go into a panic attack and Selina will kill me.” Dick barked out a laugh. It was certainly a possibility.

“What makes you think Adrien will be willing to talk to you though? He seems really protective of Marinette and he won’t give you anything if he’s at all worried you’ll use it against her.” He thought about how Marinette reacted when he’d brought the boy up. They both treated each other as something precious that needed to be protected. 

“Because I’m not going to use it against her. I think Selina and Jason are right about her. That’s why I want more information on what happened so we’re better equipped to deal with her issues.” Dick hesitated. Should he tell Tim? Selina was going to likely tell everyone so there was no point in hiding it.

“I touched her arm when she wasn’t expecting in and she pinned me to the wall faster than I would have thought possible from anyone let alone someone her size.” Tim’s eyes widened in excitement. 

“Well that certainly adds to Jason’s theory.” His expression darkened. “From what I can tell all this started three years ago. If it’s true, that would mean she started fighting at thirteen with, from what I can tell, only other children to help her.” Dick frowned with him. That was… not optimal.

\-------------------------------

Jason waited for Dick to leave the room before he made his presence known. When he knocked on the door there was a rather long wait before it opened to show him a very annoyed Selina.

“I um… I just wanted to introduce myself.” It sounded stupid and he knew it but it was true. Did he hope to gain some knowledge of the girl to further his theory of her extracurricular activities? Maybe. Selina opened the door a little wider, giving him a look that promised ridiculous amounts of pain if he screwed this up. Good to know.

He entered slowly, not wanting to alarm the girl. From what he’d gathered she seemed rather excitable and he didn’t want her afraid of him if he could avoid it. What he saw surprised him. Marinette was sitting on the bed, Alfred the cat content in her lap getting his ears scratched. Damian was going to flip if he found out. Jason had to stop from laughing out loud at the thought. Past that, everything he saw worried him.

Marinette’s shoulders were hunched like she was constantly expecting a blow, whether physical or verbal he didn’t know. Her eyes were red rimmed and her complexion pale. She was thin, too thin. Selina cleared her throat beside him and he started, realizing he’d been staring.

“Sorry! I’m Jason. It’s nice to meet you.” He gave a little wave from where he was not wanting to crowd her. That got him a slight nod of approval from Selina and a tiny, ghost of a smile from the girl on the bed.

“It’s nice to meet you Jason, I’m Marinette.” He smiled awkwardly and realized he had no idea what to say or do. Perhaps a bit more planning would have been a good idea. Social interactions with people he wasn’t familiar with weren’t his forte. Especially when he had no idea how that person would react to him. He was big and this girl was not only tiny but looked like a good stiff breeze would carry her away. 

“I uh… just wanted to introduce myself and I guess…” Come on Todd, it’s not that hard to talk. “I wanted to say that I think all that stuff in your file is crap. It sounds like people have it in for you.” There you go. Two full sentences even.

“You read my file?” Her voice was soft but filled with pain and worry. Oh god. Abort, abort. 

“Well, I um…” Selina was glaring at him and Marinette looked close to tears again. Damn it. He should have made an excuse to come see her with Dick. He was so much better at this garbage than he was.


	13. Concerned Friends

“I mean we all read it.” That just made her look even more horrified. Crap. “But like I said, it’s all a bunch of garbage. I mean, I know evil incarnate when I see it and that’s definitely not you.” He was babbling, and pretty sure he was just making things worse but he couldn’t stop. “Besides even if you were what they said, you’d still be off to a better start than most of the rest of us. This is the house of dysfunction.”

Marinette was just staring at him but he caught a glimpse of Selina trying not to laugh. At least someone was enjoying the train wreck he’d turned into. When Marinette started tearing up he had the urge to run. Hell he was considering jumping out the window since it would be faster at this point. Before he could make up his mind the girl practically launched off the bed and slammed into him, her tiny frame hugging him like a lifeline.

“Thank you.” The words were barely audible and he just stood there stunned for a moment before patting her on the head awkwardly.

“No problem?” He had no idea what she was thanking him for so he figured that was the safest answer. She stiffened and pulled back suddenly and he was afraid he’d messed up again, but she looked embarrassed. 

“Sorry. It’s just nice to have people who don’t think I’m a monster.” Jason couldn’t figure out how anyone could believe this girl had done half of what her file claimed. 

“Well we know what real monsters look like here. After all we do live with Damian.” Selina finally broke down into laughter and Jason decided that the small smile on Marinette’s face was a victory.

\-----------------------------

“We can’t just kidnap her Adrien.” Chloe was doing her best to not sound patronizing, but she wasn’t very successful.

“I don’t see why not. Between the two of us we’ve got more than enough money and connections to pull it off. We can all go where people don’t know who we are and just live in peace for once.” It was tempting, she would admit that. Unfortunately there was a rather large problem.

“You know she won’t agree to that. As much pain as she’s in, as much as they’ve hurt her, she won’t do anything she thinks will disappoint her parents.” Adrien just let out a long sigh.

“Yeah I know. We’ve got to do something though. Now that she’s out of Paris we can at least go see her.” He sounded hopeful but Chloe hesitated. 

“What if her parents gave instructions to her host family to keep us away from her? I don’t want to do anything that’ll make things worse for her.” She missed Marinette. They hadn’t been able to speak for months because her parents took her phone and cut her access to electronics unless they were there to monitor her. It had been even longer for Adrien since he’d had to leave Paris and keep switching his number to avoid the backlash from Hawkmoth’s capture. 

“I don’t care. She needs us Chloe. We’ve both let her down in the past. I won’t do it again. She’s always been there for us, no matter the cost. It’s about time we repay that debt.” The determination on his face worried her. He was right, but she was still not certain this was the right way to go about it. Before she could respond Adrien’s phone rang. He just groaned and threw himself back on the bed dramatically so she grabbed it to tell whatever reporter had gotten his latest number where exactly they could stick it.

“What do you want?” She used the tone she’d learned from her mother. It basically said ‘you are so far beneath my notice you should be grateful I’m insulting you’. There was a pause before the other person spoke, obviously confused.

“Um, I was under the impression that this number belonged to Adrien Agreste and I need to talk to him.” They didn’t sound like a reporter, but you could never be sure.

“Oh really? And what do you think you need to talk to him about?” Adrien looked at her curiously but she just rolled her eyes at him.

“Well, he called my father earlier and it’s raised a few questions about a guest in our house and Paris in general. But I really need to speak to him directly.” Chloe frowned and put it on speaker so Adrien could hear. She had no idea what was going on.

“And who exactly is your father?” The better question was why Adrien had called him, but once she got a name she could get the rest of the story out of him.

“Bruce Wayne.” Chloe just blinked at the name and Adrien smiled at her a little sheepishly. That wasn’t good.

“And why exactly did you call Bruce Wayne?” She could practically hear confusion on the other end of the phone but she was focused on the idiot in front of her.

“He’s the one Mari’s staying with. I called to tell him her file was crap and that he’d have me to deal with if he hurt her.” Chloe had to close her eyes and count to ten so she didn’t start yelling. 

“And you didn’t think that was relevant information? Something I might need to know?” He just shrugged innocently and she had to fight the urge to throttle him. Not only did he want to kidnap Mari, he wanted to do it under the nose of one of the richest men in the world. And somehow he hadn’t thought that was pertinent information. They were going to need to have a serious talk about his priorities.

“Um, hello?” She’d honestly forgotten about the person on the phone so the voice startled her a bit. 

“What?” She probably shouldn’t have snapped but she couldn’t help it at this point.

“So can I ask some questions or do you two need a minute?” The amusement in his tone did absolutely nothing for her mood.


	14. Trust-funds and Rock-stars

The next morning found Bruce in his study, hiding from everyone else in the house. Selina, Alfred, Dick, and Jason had all come to him separately the night before to speak on the girl’s behalf. Damian had then stormed into the Batcave demanding he get rid of the girl before she caused problems. In other words he didn’t want to have to be careful around her so she shouldn’t be in the house. Then, after everyone else was in bed, Tim had surfaced to talk to him about what had been going on in Paris and to tell him what he’d found out about Marinette. He had firmly sided with the others, so only Damian seemed to feel the girl was a threat. As much as he might be inclined to agree he still thought there was a need for caution. They’d gotten two very different accounts of the girl and the truth was likely to be something else entirely. Until he could observe her actions he was reserving judgement. He was broken out of his thoughts by a knock at the door. 

“Master Bruce your nine o'clock meeting has arrived.” Bruce could only blink at Alfred. It was Saturday and he was at home. What meeting? “Mr. Stone, about the charity fundraiser.” Oh, that meeting. With everything happening with Marinette he’d completely forgotten.

“Thank you Alfred I’ll be right there.” Once Alfred left he took a bracing breath before following. This was going to be interesting. When he walked into the room he plastered a polite smile on his face. “Mr. Stone, Ms. Rolling it’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

“Oh none of that Mr. stuff it’s so not Rock n Roll! Call me Jagged. And this is my amazing fiance, manager, and the person who just makes everything happen, Penny.” Bruce’s smile became a little less forced.

“Of course and please call me Bruce, shall we get down to business?” His guests sat on one of the couches and he followed suit.

“Oh sorry, I didn’t realize you’d be working in here.” The coldness in Selina’s voice caused him to sigh as he looked over to the door way. His fiance was glaring at him and behind her, trying her best to be invisible was…

“Marinette!” The shocked exclamation came from Penny and caused the girl to poke her head out in shock. Bruce watched her expression carefully as it shifted from shock to joy before settling on guilt and worry. Penny seemed to understand what was going through her head. “It’s alright Mari. You didn’t contact us and we had no idea you were even here. Your parents can’t get upset with you for a coincidence.” 

Bruce frowned at that. Why would her parents be upset about her meeting the rockstar? The next question was how she knew him in the first place but that was secondary at the moment. Marinette’s face said plainly that she thought her parents would be upset anyway but she seemed torn with what to do until Jagged spoke up.

“Well come on! You’re not going to deny me a hug from my favorite designer and niece now are you?” He held out his arms with a pout and that apparently was all she needed to launch herself at them, hugging both tightly. Jagged and Penny shot each other a concerned look over the girl’s head.

“What are you doing in Gotham Mari?” Penny’s question was spoken in a soft, soothing tone but she still tensed up before pulling away and answering.

“I’m here as part of Gotham Academy’s exchange program. Mr. Wayne has been kind enough to host me.” She sounded timid and unsure of herself. Bruce caught another glare from Selina and realized the girl still thought he was likely to send her home. He was going to have to have a talk with her if he could pry her away from his fiance.

“That’s great Mari! You’re here on an art scholarship then?” The girl visibly recoiled and seemed suddenly very interested in the floor. Jagged and Penny shared another look.

“No, it’s an academic scholarship.” The words were almost whispered and she looked like she was preparing to be lectured or yelled at. Jagged’s face softened immediately.

“That’s amazing Mari! Talented and wicked smart to boot!” She offered a tentative smile. Alfred cleared his throat in the doorway causing the girl to jump. 

“Perhaps after you’re done discussing the charity event, Mr. Stone and Ms. Rolling would like to stay for lunch so they can talk further with Miss Marinette.” The two happily agreed but Bruce watched as Marinette shrank in on herself again.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She looked close to tears. Bruce opened his mouth to tell her that it was fine, not to mention Selina was the one who brought her here, but Alfred was quicker shooting him a look. Why did they all think he was going to yell at the girl?

“It’s completely fine Miss Marinette. I was actually hoping you would help me with the dessert. Baking isn’t my strong suit you see.” She perked up a bit and Bruce remembered what Adrien had said the night before about stress baking.

“If you don’t think I’ll be in the way I’d love to help.” She sounded so hopeful.

“I wouldn’t have asked if you would be." He held out a hand but she looked to Bruce before moving. He gave her an encouraging smile and a nod even as Selina continued to glare at him. This was getting a bit ridiculous. Once she and Alfred were out of the room, Jagged and Penny’s faces dropped into frowns.

“That’s it, I’m suing her parents for custody!” Bruce blinked at the rockstar’s outburst but Penny gave an exasperated sigh.

“Jagged…”

“Don’t ‘Jagged’ me. That girl has lost at least ten pounds since we saw her three months ago Penny. Ten pounds she definitely couldn’t afford to lose. If we don’t do something we’re going to end up at her funeral!” He looked furious and Bruce shared a shocked look with Selina. He’d noticed the girl was thin but that type of weight loss was concerning.

“We don’t have any legal standing to get custody. But…” Penny looked torn. It was obvious she was deeply concerned for the girl.

“But what? I know you have something cooking in that gorgeous brain of yours, you always do.” She just rolled her eyes at Jagged’s compliment.

“Mari is old enough that she could try for emancipation. I don’t know if she would agree to it though.” Jagged seemed overjoyed at the idea.

“Why not? It would be perfect. She could just do what the Agreste boy did and leave all the people hurting her behind. Why on earth would she say no?” Penny just sighed.

“Because she’s Marinette.” Jagged’s face fell, as if that explained everything.

“What do you mean by that?” The two blinked at him in shock. He had a feeling they’d forgotten he and Selina were even there.

“Just that Mari tends to see the best in everyone. She always assumes that if there’s a problem it’s her and that she just has to try harder and find a solution to fix it.” Jagged was scowling as Penny talked and Bruce could certainly understand why. “Every time someone hurts her or her parents put new restrictions on her she believes it’s her fault and does everything she can to become what they want her to be.” 

“Why don’t her parents want her to see you?” That question actually came from Selina and Bruce was grateful because if he’d asked the question she probably would have bitten his head off for it. Jagged and Penny shared another long look.

“It’s a long story but the short version is that Mari’s parents decided she was being selfish after a group of her ‘friends’ at school came by and complained that she wasn’t designing and making them things for free anymore because she was too busy with commissions. God forbid she concentrate on her future instead of a bunch of freeloaders.” Penny’s words were filled with rage and Jagged looked like he was ready to punch something. “So they decided that any money Mari made from commissions should be used to make or buy things for said friends as an atonement of sorts.”

“That’s ridiculous. Why would they do that?” Bruce couldn’t understand it. Especially since from what he knew they owned their own business. 

“I have no idea what was going through their heads and when we found out and tried to talk to them about it, we were told it was none of our concern.” Jagged’s tone was flat. “That was unacceptable so we created a trust with Penny as the executor. All of Mari’s commissions and royalties started going into that. We only convinced the girl to agree to it by telling her it was so she’d have money for college so she wouldn’t have to get loans or ask her parents to help out. The last thing she wants is to be a burden on anyone.” He let out a sigh of aggravation. “Which is ridiculous because she couldn’t be a burden if she tried. Anyway, since Penny is in charge of the trust her parents can’t access it and even Mari needs Penny’s okay to get any money out. All of a sudden, she couldn’t buy those little whiners anything because she wasn’t getting money from her commissions so her parents decided to forbid her from designing.”

Bruce watched as the rockstar had to pause to compose himself. As a creator himself Bruce had a feeling that hit him as especially heinous. And honestly he would agree. What kind of parent would deny their child something that they not only enjoyed but appeared to be talented enough to make a career out of? If any of his children showed such an aptitude he’d bend over backwards to help them.

“Ever since then she’s been banned from contacting us unless Penny agrees to release the trust which we absolutely refuse to do until Mari comes of age. Even then I’m scared she’ll use it to placate them rather than use it to pursue her own life.” Penny sighed in agreement and Bruce was still stunned, trying to understand how a parent could do that to their own child.

“That trust offers her financial stability to emancipate herself if she wished. I’m going to text Adrien and get his thoughts since he’s been through the process.” Penny’s words brought him back to the conversation.

“Adrien Agreste?” Penny just nodded distractedly but Jagged gave him a sharp look.

“As a matter of fact yes. He’s one of the few that’s actually a real friend. How do you know him?” He sounded suspicious though Bruce wasn’t certain why.

“He called me last night to give me his take on Marinette and the information we were sent about her.” Jagged let out a disgusted scoff.

“Idiots, all of them. The ones that claim Mari is a bully and a liar are the same people who attacked that innocent boy just because they couldn’t get at his father.” Bruce just nodded thoughtfully. This entire situation was starting to give him a migraine.


	15. A Conversation with Bruce

While Jagged and Penny were telling Selina about how Marinette was before everything fell apart, Bruce managed to sneak out without being noticed. As he made his way to the kitchen he wondered again at how the girls parents could have turned on their own child. There had to be something that set the chain of events in motion. He considered calling Adrien to ask him about it because he didn’t want to upset Marinette further and doubted it was a subject she’d want to discuss. When he entered the kitchen Alfred and Marinette were just putting whatever they’d decided to make in the oven. Perfect timing for once.

“If you two are done for the moment I’d like a few words with Mlle. Dupain-Cheng.” Alfred frowned at him, glaring as if he expected him to do something terrible. Bruce let out a sigh at the reaction. Given who he was caution was a good thing but for whatever reason everyone was looking at him like he had two heads. “You can stop looking at me like I’m going to attack the girl. I’m sure all of you acting like I’m someone she needs to be protected from isn’t putting her at ease.” 

Alfred looked between him and the girl, obviously debating whether it was a good idea to leave them alone. For her part Marinette looked worried but resigned. She wasn’t going to settle in and get comfortable while she felt the looming threat of being sent home, and she seemed to believe the smallest infraction could cause it.

“I’ll be nearby if you need me Master Bruce.” Bruce had to keep himself from rolling his eyes as Alfred sent him yet another look daring him to mess this up. The faith his family had in him was heartwarming. When he looked back at Marinette he noticed her eyes bouncing around the room. It seemed random at first, but he could see her marking the exits over and over again. It’s like it was a habit. Even if she wouldn’t bolt for whatever reason, she made sure she knew what her options were.

“I’m sorry.” Her words were soft and she didn’t qualify the apology. It was sincere nonetheless and he got the feeling that while she’d been conditioned to apologize she really did feel sorry.

“What exactly are you sorry for?” His tone was a bit more harsh than he’d intended and she flinched. Her eyes started going back to the door and window at the back of the kitchen and he sighed.

“For everything really. For getting caught up in the attack at the airport and causing worry. For the way I’ve been acting. For being a burden and interrupting your meeting. For pinning Dick to a wall.” It’s like the flood gates opened. He almost felt like a priest taking confession as she listed off all the things she thought she did wrong. One thing did catch his attention though.

“Wait, when did you pin Dick?” How was the better question. Given her size he wouldn’t think she was capable of it.

“He touched me and I just reacted. He said it was okay, but I still should have been able to control myself better. I really didn’t mean to assault one of your kids I swear.” Even with the terrified look on her face Bruce couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“Don’t worry most of them deserve to be assaulted for something.” She looked completely horrified at his words and he realized how bad that must have sounded to her. “Regardless they can all take care of themselves. Tell me why do you feel the need to apologize for things that aren’t your fault?” She blinked at him in confusion.

“I didn’t apologize for anything that wasn’t my fault.” Bruce just stared at her for a moment. She was serious. After going through kid after kid who made excuses and shifted blame he wasn’t sure what to do with one that accepted responsibility even when they weren’t at fault.

“You stepped off a plane and into an attack. How could that be your fault?” She thought for a moment before opening her mouth to answer, but he wouldn’t let her. “How is it your fault that Selina dragged you downstairs when I’m sure you would have rather stayed in your room?”

“I should have said no.” Bruce raised an eyebrow at her and she looked down. He wasn’t always the best at reading people but he was certain she had said no, multiple times, and it hadn’t helped. Selina was nothing if not stubborn.

“And had you managed that you would have felt guilty over disappointing her. I’d like to know what people said to you to make you believe that everything is your fault. There are things in this world that are out of your control and it’s really just another form of ego to believe that all blame lies with you.” He watched as she tried to process his words. She looked so lost, as if suddenly her entire world had shifted. Someone had done a number on the girl. “Who told you that other people’s behavior and choices are your fault.”

“Everyone.” He could barely hear her and got the feeling she was making an effort to get the words out. “My parents always told me that if I couldn’t find the good in someone and bring it out, I wasn’t empathizing enough. My teacher always told me I needed to set a better example when my classmates misbehaved. My friends.” Her voice cracked and she had to take a moment to compose herself. “My friends only lashed out at me because I was being selfish by putting my wants before theirs.” 

“And what makes your wants any less important than theirs?” The confusion was back and Bruce could feel his own temper building. “Why is it perfectly fine for them to be selfish but not you? Why should you work so hard to make everyone else happy when they do nothing but make your life miserable?” She just stared at him. It was like her brain just completely shut down when he challenged everything she’d been taught. It’s like being in a cult and suddenly being confronted with the reality of the outside world. 

“My parents are just doing what they think is best for me. They want me to grow into a good person, not just a successful one.” She was rationalizing but he didn’t have the heart to point it out at the moment. He was also afraid that if he pushed her too much she’d break down again.

“I’m sure they do. That’s why they sent you to Gotham isn’t it? Because it was the best thing for you. While you’re here and under my care it’s my job to do what’s best for you as well.” She bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. “Then while you’re here I think you should do the things you love to do. Don’t worry about your parents or Paris. You’re stuck here for the duration of the exchange program no matter what you do.”

She started to tear up and he mentally cursed at himself. He’d gone too far. Maybe Alfred was right to keep her away from him. All of a sudden he was caught in a crushing hug. He hadn’t even seen her move. He patted her awkwardly on the back before seeing movement in the doorway from the corner of his eye. When he looked over Selina was standing there, her face a blank mask. She gave a small nod of approval before stepping back out.


	16. Triggers

Marinette pulled away from Bruce when a timer went off. She looked embarrassed by her actions and wouldn’t look him in the eye again. He’d still count this as progress. However, he was obviously making her uncomfortable still.

“I’ll go send Alfred back in.” She sent him a timid smile but didn’t say anything. He waited to sigh until he made it out of the kitchen. It had even more emotion behind it once he saw Selina and Alfred waiting for him. “You should head back in.” They both just kept staring at him. He fought not to roll his eyes.

“If I might make a suggestion Master Bruce?” He just gestured for Alfred to continue. “At lunch, or any meal, try to avoid anything that might sound like censure or disapproval.” Bruce was tempted to slam his head into a wall at this point. It was heartwarming to know his family thought of him as an ogre. Selina was frowning at Alfred now though.

“Why? What did she say?” Bruce looked back at Alfred as the man let out an annoyed breath.

“Not much to be honest, but it sounded like her parents managed to weaponise mealtimes.” They what?

“What do you mean?” Bruce had a very bad feeling about where this was headed. 

“I was talking about cooking and baking, asking about her favorite foods so that I could make sure to have options she’ll like. The girl is far too thin.” That at least was something they all agreed on. “It seemed like anytime I mentioned something she would say something about her parents scolding her or saying how disappointed they were in her behavior while they were eating. It seems to me that they were probably busy with their business so the only time they paid attention to her was at meals they had together and they used that time to make sure she was aware of their displeasure.”

“It would certainly explain the weight loss.” Penny’s voice sounded behind them and they turned to see her and Jagged looking concerned and more than a little pissed off. “Going into meals constantly stressed and nervous would’ve killed her appetite and the constant stream of negative input would most likely make her nauseous. Not to mention she would have tried to get away as fast as possible and would have eaten the bare minimum.” She looked at her fiance with determination.

“We need to get her out of that environment permanently.” Penny nodded at Jagged’s words but she look hesitant. “Call Adrien and Chloe, they’ll have more luck convincing her to do what’s best for her than we will.” Penny already had her phone out, tapping away. Jagged raised an eyebrow at Bruce. “You going to mention any of this to her parents?”

“What would you do if I said yes?” Selina was sending him a death glare while Alfred just looked disappointed. Bruce just ignored him while waiting for the rockstar to answer.

“All the people in Marinette’s life that truly know her would move heaven and earth just to see her smile. Imagine what we’ll do to keep her from harm. That girl deserves the world and most of us will watch it burn if it means we can give it to her.” Well that was certainly not the answer he expected. Adrien threatening him had been unusual, and this response was even more so. He had to wonder what it was about Marinette that could invoke such passion in people. For or against didn’t really matter, she appeared to bring out the best or worst in people.

“Understood. And for the record I have no intention of saying anything to her parents until I have a better handle on the situation myself.” Jagged just nodded. Bruce could tell he was less than pleased with that response. Selina and Alfred both looked relieved though. Alfred finally went back into the kitchen while he and Selina showed their guests to the dining room where, as misfortune would have it, all of his sons were present.

Dick was open mouthed and pointing. Bruce dreaded what would come out once he regained speech. Jason pinched himself before acting much the same. Tim blinked at the rocker blearily before squinting and muttering something about need more coffee if he was hallucinating. Damian looked wholly unimpressed and when he opened his mouth to speak Bruce was tempted to throw something at him.

“It’s bad enough you’re letting that terrorist stay here, but now you’re housing a musician?” The last word came out in such a derogatory fashion that Bruce wouldn’t have been surprised to see Jagged lunge for the boy. Thankfully he just seemed stunned at the moment. “What’s next? Housing Gotham’s rogues?” He looked straight at Selina when he spoke and Bruce was officially done.

“Damian, apologize now.” The boy just crossed his arms and raised his chin in defiance. “Fine, I don’t have time for your insolence right now but we’ll discuss your punishment later. For now you’re confined to your room. Dick if you would escort him.” Dick shot him a confused look before understanding dawned. Bruce had renovated one of the bedrooms into a ‘timeout’ space when Jason was at his worst. It was heavily reinforced with no way out besides the door. There was literally nothing to do and it forced you to deal with your own thoughts. He honestly didn’t think it would do Damian any good but it would keep him from doing something stupid until Bruce could put his full attention on him. It would also keep him away from Marinette, and that was a necessity his entire family could agree on.


	17. Dysfunction

Marinette walked to the dining room slowly. Alfred had sent her ahead saying that he could serve perfectly well on his own and she was a guest afterall. For her part she would rather be useful than a guest. She stopped short of the open door to try and take a few calming breaths. She didn’t mean to eavesdrop but once she heard her name, she couldn’t bring herself to move.

“Someone needs to look out for Mari in school. Those idiot classmates of hers from before really did a number on her and I’m worried she’ll just go along with whatever people want, especially if they’re nice to her. She needs someone there to help keep her grounded.” Marinette started to tear up at the concern in Jagged’s voice. But she also felt ashamed that he thought she couldn’t take care of herself. She wasn’t trying to worry anyone.

“Well, Jason’s a year ahead of her so he won’t be in any of her classes but I’m sure he’ll keep an eye on her in between, right?” Mr. Wayne’s voice still sounded annoyed, but she was starting to think that was just how it always sounded. 

“Of course I will. It’s not like I’ve got anything better to do between classes. Ouch!” She wasn’t sure what had caused the exclamation, but she had a feeling someone had either hit or pinched Jason. Selina had done so a few times last night and it had seemed to be a regular occurrence.

“So you’re saying you’ll look out for her only until you find something better to do?” Selina’s words caused Jason to stutter out denials, none very coherent. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ve already got someone who’s actually in most of Marinette’s classes who can keep an eye on her. And trust me, Syd won’t let anyone manipulate or take advantage of her.” Marinette could feel herself start to choke up. She couldn’t remember the last time someone put so much thought into her wellbeing. It was probably when Penny set up the trust if she was being honest.

“Syd? You don’t mean that street kid you pulled strings for do you?” Marinette could hear the distaste in Mr. Wayne’s voice, similar to his tone when he’d asked if she’d faked her panic attack.

“Yes I do. Syd is a good kid Bruce, and honestly I think she and Marinette will be good for each other.” Selina’s voice held a warning in it though Marinette didn’t know why. 

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to associate with someone that’s so close to-” Marinette could have sworn she heard a growl as Mr. Wayne cut himself off.

“Then I guess that means you want me to leave as well.” Selina’s voice was livid and Marinette realized she was holding her breath and practically trying to crawl up the wall. She knew the woman’s anger wasn’t directed at her but that really didn’t make it better. She heard Mr. Wayne let out an annoyed sigh.

“That’s not what I meant and you know it Selina.” His voice sounded muffled and Marinette was only vaguely aware that she’d crouched down, covering her ears with cupped hands. All she ever did was cause problems. Now they were fighting because of her when all she wanted was to be invisible. 

\--------------------------

As Dick walked back from the affectionately nicknamed ‘holding cell’, he wondered if it would be possible to keep Damian away from Marinette for the full six months. When Alfred had talked Bruce into this they had actually hoped that the girl and Damian could grow together and become better people. Now that they were finding out that not only was everything in Marinette’s file a pile of garbage but that she seemed to be suffering from anxiety and possibly PTSD, there was no reason to subject her to the brat child.

As he rounded the corner to the dining room he could hear Bruce and Selina arguing, loudly, and sighed. Neither one of them were good at finding middle ground and any dispute seemed to dissolve into this or worse. He was almost to the door when he heard what sounded like a whimper. He looked around in confusion for a minute before his eyes landed on Marinette a few feet away. She was crouched against the wall, seemingly trying to make herself as small as possible, rocking and covering her ears. He heard Bruce use her name in the other room and the girl let out another pained noise. 

He started towards her but thought better of it. As much as he wanted to help, she did not seem to react well to being touched when she wasn’t expecting it and he had a feeling she didn’t even realize he was there. The voices in the other room got louder once again and he watched the girl try to melt into the wall. It was heartbreaking to watch and he felt anger rising that he very rarely felt, let alone aimed at his dysfunctional family. He marched into the room glaring.

“Will you two knock it off? You’re acting like children while Marinette’s in the hall having a panic attack.” He heard a soft whimper from behind him and winced. He really should have avoided her name. Bruce and Selina both just looked at him in shock. Seline recovered first and once his words penetrated she rushed out to Marinette, Jagged and Penny right behind. Jason was looking at the door like he wanted to follow but decided against it. Tim was just looking at him like he’d never seen him before which just made him roll his eyes. Bruce was just frowning in thought.

“You guys really need to be more careful about this kind of thing with her in the house.” Dick lowered his voice in the hope that it wouldn’t carry past the door. He could hear Selina trying to get Marinette into a breathing rhythm and did not want to interfere with that.”

“She shouldn’t have been eavesdropping in the first place.” Bruce actually looked surprised by his own words but once they were out Dick knew he wouldn’t back track. 

“She was probably about to walk in and heard you talking about her so she panicked. First, because she didn’t want to interrupt you and was worried you’d be mad at her for breaking into the conversation and then because you were basically yelling at each other. From what we’ve seen she blames herself for everything. For all we know she could be freaking out about the possibility of breaking the two of you up.” Bruce continued to frown at him so he looked at his brothers for support. Tim looked like he was about to fall into a coma so no help there. Jason just shrugged.

“We all know Selina could do better. I vote if she wants to take Marinette and go she should. At least it’ll keep her away from Demon Spawn and in a calmer environment.” Jason’s words earned a glare from Bruce and Dick just dropped his head into his hands. That poor girl did not deserve to be subjected to the unique brand of insanity the manor housed.


	18. Meeting Tim

Marinette came back to herself slowly and immediately wished she hadn’t. Seeing Selina, Jagged, and Penny gathered around her with concerned looks filled her with guilt. Why did she always have to be such a mess? Why couldn’t she just be normal? She closed her eyes and buried her head in her arms trying to regain some type of equilibrium. She tried to imagine Tikki giving her advice, but that just brought another wave a guilt. What would the Kwami say if she could see her now? 

“I’m sorry. If I’m already causing problems for you maybe you should send me back.” The last thing she wanted was people fighting because of her. As much as she dreaded going back to Paris she wouldn’t put her own wishes ahead of other people’s interest. Selina had been so kind to her, the least she could do is offer the woman an out. No one deserved to have to deal with her problems, and Selina certainly didn’t deserve to have Marinette’s presence come between her and her fiance. 

“That’s not happening and you’re not causing problems. Bruce and I argue all the time about lesser things to be honest. You’re just giving me a far better excuse to lay into him than the things we normally argue about, like where to go on dates.” Marinette was surprised enough to look up at the woman. Selina’s expression was amused but still concerned. “Come on, let’s go eat, you’ll feel better.” The woman held out her hand and Marinette hesitantly took it, letting herself be pulled up. All three adults shot her encouraging smiles before leading her into the dining room. 

Inside, things seemed… tense. Bruce was glaring at Jason while the boy just looked smug. Dick just looked done. There was another boy with a coffee mug in his hand that seemed to be in his own world. He was also swaying slightly and Marinette recognized the sleep deprivation for what it was given that she’d been in such a state on numerous occasions. Selina noticed her concerned look and rolled her eyes at the boy.

“Don’t worry he’s always like that. Marinette I’d like you to meet Tim, another of Bruce’s sons.” Tim blinked at them blearily for a moment then his gaze sharpened. He looked her up and down, appearing to study her. Marinette heard her inner voice listing off all the flaws and problems he was likely seeing. She felt her breathing get shallower and unconsciously moved behind Selina to hide. Tim didn’t seem to notice but Jason did.

“Stop staring, you’re making her uncomfortable.” When the words didn’t have his desired effect, Jason smacked Tim upside the head 

“Hey what was that for?” Tim finally looked away from her, rubbing his head, and she felt like the vice in her chest loosened at bit.

“For being creepy. You’re standing there looking at Marinette like she’s some particularly dificult case you need to solve. It’s disturbing.” Tim blinked at him in confusion before looking back and her as she tried to hide behind the adults. He blushed and stammered for a moment.

“Sorry. I was talking to your friends last night and was just thinking about some of the things they said about you.” Marinette stiffened in panic. What ‘friends’ had he been talking to? This was bad, this was really, really bad. 

“Oh yeah because that makes it less creepy.” Jason actually facepalmed before saying the words. He then looked a Marinette with an apologetic smile. “Tim here is an amateur detective so you’ll have to forgive his invasiveness. After Adrien called he wanted more information on everything, especially what happened in Paris. So being the nosy little shit he his he called Adrien and ended up talking to him and some girl.” Marinette perked up a bit hearing that. Thank Kwami it hadn’t been any of her other classmates.

“Chloe?” The question came out small and timid. Her parents had forbidden her from talking to her friends, but they hadn’t specifically said she could ask about them. Tim gave an affirmative nod. “Did she seem okay? I know she was hurt when my parents made me cut contact.” If she’d been a better daughter, done better in general, maybe her parents wouldn’t have done it. She felt so guilty that she’d been forced to leave Chloe alone. At least she had Adrien back now though. Tim scowled at the floor.

“She seemed… assertive.” Marinette smiled weakly at the understatement. “They both mentioned that they hadn’t talked to you in months but didn’t go into specifics. Why would your parents make you stop talking to them?” She should have expected the question, but it hit her pretty hard and she felt herself tear up again. Penny came up beside her and pulled her into a hug, but Jagged was the one who answered.

“For the same reason she’s not allowed to contact us. Because we’re all bad influences.” The sarcasm in his tone was impossible to miss. Marinette couldn’t fault him for it. Her parents preferred to lay the blame for her behaviour at the feet of others, while she knew that she was the real problem. Jagged and Penny were amazing and supportive people. Adrien and Chloe had their faults but neither had ever pulled her into trouble. No, what her parents didn’t want to see was that the blame for her actions lay entirely with her. She hated that they would treat good people so unfairly because of her.

“They’re trying to protect me, it’s not their fault.” It was hers. Everything was.


	19. An Awkward Conversation

Bruce really didn’t know what to make of the girl. Sure, he was leaning towards the side of she’d been badly mistreated but he still couldn’t make sense of the things she said or did half the time. He had his fair share of experience with broken children and Marinette wasn’t acting like any of them. He was used to angry teenagers. Mad at the world sure, but usually they focused that rage on their parents or guardian. But Marinette was standing there defending the people who’d basically imprisoned her. Strange didn’t even cover how this felt. 

“They seem to be trying to control you more than protect you.” Marinette peeked out at him from Penny’s arms with a confused expression. “Everything they did seemed meant to protect others from you rather than the other way around.” He didn’t realize how blunt that statement was until it was already out and had to stop himself from cringing. Jagged simply nodded in agreement but both Penny and Selina were glaring at him like he’d just kicked a puppy. Marinette was just blinking at him and he had to wonder if he’d broken her.

“They were just trying to help me be a better person.” Marinette’s words came out a bit strangled and Bruce could tell she was trying to convince herself as much as any of them. Temper tantrums and acting out he understood. But this? How was he supposed to deal with this? He didn’t want to push her, but at the same time there was no way they’d be able to really help if they didn’t understand the situation. Knowing full well that Selina was about to be even more pissed at him he moved closer to the girl.

“I know it’s probably painful but can you explain what happened to make your parents so concerned about you?” The girl let out a little whimper and now everyone in the room was glaring at him. He fought the urge to roll his eyes as he waited to see if she would answer.

“I… I was lying to them.” He waited for her to justify it but she didn’t. She just stood there looking at the floor and seemed to be waiting for him to yell at her or punish her. God he was confused.

“What were you lying to them about?” She started shaking and shook her head.

“I can’t tell you.” Her words came out in a whisper, almost as if she was hoping not to be heard. “Just like I couldn’t tell them. It’s not my secret to share.” Well that certainly sounded like something to do with Paris’ heroes, though it could also have been something as simple as she’d wanted to help someone and had to sneak out to do it because they didn’t want anyone else knowing about the problem. Either seemed valid at this point. 

“And that’s it? That’s all it took for them to decide you were a different person than they’d thought?” She started fidgeting and paused before answering. When she did, it wasn’t what anyone had expected.

“That’s what started it. Then my friends started complaining about my behavior and they felt they needed to take more drastic steps to keep me in line. They did what they thought was best with the information they had.” That was the closest he’d heard her come to criticising her parents or disagreeing with their treatment of her. She still wasn’t blaming them for what they’d done to her, but it was something. “If I could have told them more about what was going on I think things might have been different.” 

She sounded almost wistful and he want to press her on what she could have told them to change their minds, but she’d already said she couldn’t say and he had a feeling pushing the issue would only make her shut down again. As it was she’d been very forthcoming and had answered his questions even though they obviously made her uncomfortable. He was used to punishing bad behavior but honestly wasn’t certain how to reward good behavior. 

“Would you like to talk to your friends? The ones Tim talked to?” He saw joy and happiness light up her face for an instant before it fell again.

“My parents wouldn’t want me to. They’d be really upset.” She sounded so dejected. He wondered when the last time was that she’d put herself first.

“What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” The flippant remark was ill judged on his part if her expression was anything to go by. She looked horrified.

“I can’t lie to them again. Certainly not about this or they’ll hate me even more.” He heard Selina suck in a breath and caught the scowls on his son’s faces out of the corner of his eye. Penny and Jagged were looking at each other with oddly blank expressions. Bruce was sure his wasn’t much better. 

“What do you mean even more?”


	20. What Do You Want?

Marinette’s hands immediately shot up to her mouth once she realized what she said even though it was too late to stop the words. How could she be so ungrateful to the people who’d raised her? She could feel herself start to choke up but refused to cry again. She couldn’t afford to break down every time she was reminded of home.

“I misspoke. I meant they hate some of my actions.” The words came out as more of a question and she could tell that no one in the room believed her. She thought it was the truth though. Her parents could never really hate her could they? 

‘Then why do they want to send you away to an institution for reforming criminals? Why did they refuse to listen to anything you said about the situation even when you could prove you were telling the truth?’ The voice in her head sounded like Plagg again and it just made her miss Tikki all the more. Tikki would help her focus on the positive.

“Sweetheart, did one of your parents say they hated you?” Selina’s words broke her out of her thoughts.

“No, of course not.” They hadn’t. They’d yelled a lot of things at her in anger and frustration but never that. So what if her mother had called her a mistake? She didn’t really mean it. There’d been an Akuma that day and she couldn’t explain why she wasn’t in her room when they’d checked. It wasn’t their fault she had to lie to them. “They just want what’s best for me but I don’t make things easy on them.” She felt Penny stiffen behind her and knew both she a Jagged were ready to argue with her assessment. Her shoulders hunched on instinct in preparation.

“Marinette.” She cringed at Mr. Wayne’s voice. She couldn’t help it knowing that her fate was entirely dependant on him. “What do you think is best for you?” The question shocked her enough that her head snapped up. Everyone in the room was looking at her expectantly.

“My parents-” He shook his head sharply and cut her off.

“I don’t want to know what you think your parents want. If I want their opinion I’ll ask for it. I want to know what you want.” She flinched at his tone even though she could tell he was trying to soften it. She opened her mouth to answer but realized she couldn’t. She couldn’t even remember the last time her opinion mattered. People had been telling what to do and how to act for so long she didn’t even know who she was anymore. Her parents, Master Fu, Tikki, her teachers, her friends… She’d always put more faith in their judgement than her own. She never would have become Ladybug if she’d been offered a choice in the beginning. She’d never have become class president if everyone else hadn’t put her up to it. What was the last decision she’d made on her own?

“Hey it’s okay.” She looked up to see Selina standing next to Mr. Wayne. Both had concern and pity on their faces. “You don’t have to answer right now, but would you at least think about it?” She could only nod at the question. 

“I’m sorry.” It was a simple question, he must think her an idiot not to have something to say. The litany of insults that seemed to constantly run through her mind started to get louder. 

“You have nothing to apologize for Marinette. Most people don’t know what they want in life, especially kids your age.” His voice had softened further and Marinette was actually able to offer him a tentative smile in return. It seemed to ease the tension in the room and she felt guilty for worrying everyone, again. “Why don’t we sit? Alfred will be in soon with the food.”

Penny led her over to the table and she ended up between her and Jagged. Marinette was honestly relieved and it didn’t seem like anyone minded. The meal went by smoothly, but she could feel the tension. The boys would be joking around with each other but she noticed the adults keeping the conversation to bland topics. She had no idea why. Everyone praised the chocolate croissants she and Alfred had made, though she thought it was more because they felt sorry for her than because they were better than what they normally ate. 

It wasn’t until that night that she’d realized it was the first meal she’d had in a long time where she wasn’t in a hurry to leave the table. 

\-----------------------------------------

After lunch Selina had insisted that she and Marinette go out with Jagged and Penny. Bruce wasn’t planning on arguing anyway but she’d herded them out before he could respond either way. He went to his office before any of his other family could latch onto him and locked the door before pulling out the letter from Marinette’s mother. As he considered Jagged’s plan to have Marinette emancipate herself it seemed less like a good option for the girl. Honestly given the way she constantly defended them he didn’t think she’d agree to it in the first place. There was however a simpler option. 

\---------------------------------------------

For his part Alfred decided that while she was in the manor Miss Marinette would be offered all the comforts she’d been denied at home. Before the day was over he’d set up the room next to hers with everything she needed to design. He also had a new phone and computer set up but was sensitive enough to her situation to know she wouldn’t accept them while her parents still objected to it. He was honestly uncertain she’d be willing to touch anything he purchased without their consent.


	21. Marinette's Choice

The next morning while everyone else was eating breakfast Bruce remained in his office. He’d told Alfred that he wanted to see Marinett after she was done eating and had been met with a lecture on sensitivity. He didn’t think he was that bad but his family had a different opinion.

The rest of the day yesterday had been interesting if nothing else. Damian’s attitude wasn’t changing at all, and that was going to present a problem. He was seriously considering sending the boy to the Teen Titans while Marinette settled in. The girl needed peace and calm and he doubted she’d get either with his son in the house. He was also hoping being forced to work and live with others would do more to curb his early teachings than living in the manor had done so far. As much as he disliked the idea of sending Damian away it seemed to be the best option for everyone.

That worry was nothing next to the conversation he’d had with Marinette’s parents. Given the interviews they’d seen and the letter from her mother he thought he’d been prepared to talk to them but now he didn’t think it was possible to prepare for something like that. It almost seemed like they had completely lost faith in their own ability to read their daughter and so had begun substituting other people’s. It was disturbing to say the least. He was interrupted from his thoughts by a tentative knock at the door. 

“Come in Marinette.” The door opened barely wide enough to let her slip through. She stood right next to it, head down and shaking like she expected to be yelled at. After talking to her parents for close to three hours he understood why. “Close the door and come sit.” He walked around his desk to the couch, gesturing her over when she hesitated after closing the door. Once she was settled he began. “I spoke to your parents last night.”

“You’re sending me back.” The words were barely audible but he heard them. He also mentally slapped himself for his stupidity. Of course that was where her mind would go first. 

“No I’m not.” He tried to make his voice gentle but he wasn’t sure it was working given she still wouldn’t look up from her lap, let alone make eye contact. “You’re staying at least until the exchange program is over and there’s nothing you could do or say at this point to change that.” Her head shot up and her face flashed through emotions so fast he could only catch a few of them. Surprise, gratefulness, and confusion.

“What do you mean at least?” Well she was quick he’d give her that. He let out a soft sigh debating where to start and how much to tell her. 

“When the exchange program is over do you want to go back to Paris?” Her full body flinch was more than enough of an answer. “That’s what I thought. It’s obvious that whatever problems you do have are not being effectively handled, very likely because everyone is trying to solve problems that don’t exist.”

“What do you mean?” She sounded wary, like she was afraid of his answer. I took him a moment for him to realize she was expecting him to accuse her of something.

“Do you know what your parents think you’re main issues are?” He saw tears in her eyes before she looked down again.

“That I’m selfish, a liar, promiscuous, and work with criminals.” He had to wonder how often she’d been accused of all that for it to come out of her in that dead tone.

“And do you agree with that?” She tensed up again, obviously expecting a trap.

“Not the last two.” 

“But you think you’re selfish and a liar?” He hadn’t expected that. He’d figured it would be all or nothing to be honest, assuming she answered at all.

“I did have to lie to them sometimes.” She sounded so ashamed of that fact, it was heartbreaking. “And I don’t think they would have believed I was selfish if it weren’t at least partly true.” 

“Can you give me an example of something you did that was selfish?” Her parents had gone on and on about not fulfilling obligations and doing things to spite her classmates, but they hadn’t really been specific. He was interested to see what she came up with.

“At the end of the last school year there was a dance. Everyone expected me to make their outfits for it but I didn’t.” There was no way that was the entire story. While he could tell she felt ashamed, the main thing that her body was screaming at him was pain.

“When did they ask you to make the clothes for them?” She hunched in on herself even more.

“They didn’t but I should have realized they’d want me to.” Bruce thought his head was going to explode. They didn’t even spring it on her last minute, they simply blamed her for their own lack of planning and she thought she was being selfish? If this was what her parents meant by not fulfilling obligations he was even more certain he was doing the right thing.

“Marinette.” He waited for her to look up at him. She was close to tears. “You are not a mind reader. If people want something from you they need to make that clear. They are the ones being selfish by blaming you for something that’s not your fault.” She was looking at him like he’d grown a second head. How often had something like this happened? “I don’t think you’re any of the things your parents think you are.” 

The poor girl looked like she couldn’t understand those words in that order. He was honestly afraid that he broke her the longer she sat there just staring at him. Now he was really worried about how she would react to what he had to tell her.

“It’s obvious that you’ve been through a lot. What you really need now is a stable and supportive environment.” She was still just staring at him, and he honestly wasn’t certain she actually heard him. “Your parents have agreed to turn over their parental rights to me. But I won’t do it if you don’t agree.” Tears started streaming down her face. Crap.

“My parents don’t want me anymore?” He had to strain to hear her and wouldn’t have been able to make it out if he couldn’t read her lips. 

“That’s not it at all!” Well maybe a little bit, but even he wasn’t stupid enough to say that. “They just don’t feel equipped to help you. Didn’t you say they just want what’s best for you?” She nodded but was still crying so he reached over tentatively to rub her back in what he hoped was a comforting way. He was not prepared for her to crash into him in a hug, but he did his best to calm her. “I’ve helped a lot of troubled kids who have become productive members of society, well not Jason but most of the others. Your parents agreed that you would be better off in a new environment as well.” 

She didn’t answer so he just kept rubbing her back while she cried into his chest. The last thing he wanted to do was make her feel like she was unloved or unwanted. Especially since it was obvious that’s all she seemed to feel at home. 

“I don’t want to just become your problem instead.” It was hard to make out her words through the crying but when he did it sparked a slow building rage inside him. He took hold of her shoulders and moved her back just enough to look her in the eye.

“You are not a problem.” He spoke slowly trying to imprint the words in her brain. He knew it would take far more than words to make her believe but she still needed to hear it. The skepticism on her face was beyond depressing. “You aren’t a charity case. You’re a child who needs people to believe in them and right now this seems like the best place for that. If it’s what you want.”

He didn’t want to pressure her but at the same time he didn’t want to give her parents time to change their mind either. He didn’t think they would, they’d honestly seemed relieved when he suggested it, but nothing was ever certain. If she agreed, he’d have the paperwork signed and processed by the end of the business day in France. He’d give her whatever time she needed though. This wasn’t a small or easy decision. 

She seemed a bit dazed and she kept searching for something in his face. He had no idea what though. As he waited, she started to get her tears and breathing under control. Once she did she finally seemed to be able to think over the situation. She was no longer looking at him but rather through him. She bit her lip and tugged on her sleeves before taking a deep breath.

“I’d… I’d like to stay. I promise I’ll do my best.” She didn’t specify at what but it was obvious from her tone that she didn’t expect her best to be good enough.


	22. Boundaries

Bruce let out a relieved sigh once Marinette agreed to the idea. It probably wasn’t the best solution and he wasn’t sure how everything would work out, especially since he wasn’t sure how much if anything he wanted to tell her about his other life. Not right away at least. If Tim and Jason were right about her involvement in Paris, it could just be another trigger for her and that was the last thing he wanted.

At the same time he definitely didn’t think Jagged and Penny’s plan of her emancipating herself was a good idea. She needed to be in a structured and supportive environment where she could be a child. Not out on her own with no firm idea where she was going or what to do with her life. For all her gifts and talents she was far too unsure of herself to make life decisions that would be what she actually wanted, rather than what was expected. Not to mention the mental toll the process itself would take if she did agree to it. 

He pulled out his phone to send a text. It was only two words, ‘move forward’, but those two words were about to change everything. When he glanced back at Marinette she was looking at him warily again.

“What?” He tried to modulate his tone so it wouldn’t come out so harsh but judging by her flinch he’d failed miserably. Her gaze dropped to her lap again and she couldn’t seem to stop rubbing one of her thumbs into the opposite palm. It was like a self soothing gesture, almost the way someone would rub a worry stone. 

“I was just wondering…” She paused, taking a few shallow breaths. “What are the rules?” Bruce blinked at her in confusion for a moment, not quite sure what she was asking.

“The rules for what?” He was almost afraid to ask given some of the things her parents mentioned.

“The rules for me to stay. To not get sent back.” Her words held a sliver of hope but it was mostly resigned. She actually expected there to be conditions. Bruce felt his anger building again. This girl had been tossed away and thrown aside like garbage by just about everyone in her life and she fully expected him to do the same. As much as he wanted to give in to that anger he knew it wouldn’t help right now. Unfortunately he also knew that words wouldn’t help either. She wouldn’t believe she was a permanent resident until it was proven to her. 

“Marinette.” She flinched again and he had to force himself not to sigh. Patience had never been one of his virtues but he was going to have to learn and quickly. “There are no rules for you to stay. Once all the paperwork is signed this is going to be your home no matter what you do.” The skeptical look she shot him was heartbreaking, if expected. After all once those papers were signed her parents will have officially abandoned her. She had no reason to believe he’d do any differently. 

“There must still be rules.” Structure. The word filtered through his mind and he once again mentally berated himself for being an idiot. He was the one who’d noticed she needed a structured environment. She needed to know where the boundaries were and what was expected of her. He should have considered it more carefully. With most of the others they’d found boundaries together once they hit them. Marinette needed to know in advance.

“Why don’t we start simple?” She stiffened up and he realized he probably was coming off condescending. “I haven’t really considered specifics so we’ll just focus on the big things okay?” She looked even more uncertain and he had a feeling that her parents had ben nitpicking the little things at the end. “If there’s anything you’re uncertain about you can ask me, Selina, or Alfred. But whatever you do don’t trust what comes out of any of the boys, they like to play jokes.” She offered a tentative smile but it looked a little sickly if he was being honest.

“Okay.” She gave him another hesitant look. “What are the big things?” That was a very good question.

“Well, in the manor you’re not to wander. Alfred and Selina will show you where it is acceptable for you to be but don’t just wander around.” She nodded in acceptance. If he’d said that to any of his other children they would have immediately run off to find out what he was hiding. She simply accepted it. This was so strange. “You can go anywhere on the grounds, just make sure and let an adult know where you are so we can find you. I’ll expect you to keep your grades up. If you’re having any issues let me know and we’ll find you a tutor.”

She was frowning at him in confusion and he wasn’t sure why. Was he not being specific enough? Or was she just used to so many more rules that only having a few made her nervous? She seemed to understand English perfectly well but maybe he should switch to French. Then again that might remind her of home and that was the last thing he wanted. He really needed to find out what her triggers were.

“What about what I’m allowed to do here?” The soft question pulled him out of his thoughts and now it was his turn to look confused.

“What do you mean?” 

“I…” She stopped to swallow nervously. “My parents had specific things I was allowed to do, both at home and elsewhere. I was wondering what you’ll allow.” Bruce had a feeling that his expression showed horror but there was nothing he could do about that. He knew things were bad but this sounded like her parents regulated everything about her life except her thoughts, and that not for a lack of trying. He frowned at the thought. Then again they’d seemed to do a pretty good job of that a well if the way she acted was any indication. He didn’t even know how to begin to help her recover from that.

“I’m not going to restrict you like that.” The wariness was back in her eyes. How was he even supposed to explain this so she would understand? “As long as you don’t get into trouble at school or do anything illegal, you’re welcome to do as you please.” She just looked at him like he’d sprouted another head. He sighed. “As I said before, if you’re unsure of something just ask, I promise I won’t get mad or punish you for something unless we discussed it beforehand. If you do something I have an issue with we’ll discuss it.” 

The look on her face said she didn’t believe a word coming out of his mouth and he had to suppress another sigh. He reminded himself that it would take time for her to learn to trust. Both him and herself.


	23. The Announcement

Marinette tried to hide her skepticism, she really did, but after everything that had happened this morning she couldn’t. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful but considering that her parents had just given her away to first random person who asked it did not inspire much hope for the future.

Just then Mr. Wayne’s phone beeped. She watched his shocked expression as he checked it. It was probably whoever he had working for him in Paris, and he was surprised at how badly her parents wanted to get rid of her. How quick they were to pawn her off on some stranger… oh Kwami.

She eyed him as he tapped out a response. Her parents had just given her over to someone they didn’t know, someone she had just met. Even if she trusted her own judgement there was no way she could have gotten a proper read on him in such a short time. What if he was a pedophile? Or in human trafficking? Or organ harvesting? Her thoughts spiraled as she ran every worst case scenario. How could her parents just throw her at the first person who asked? Was she really that terrible of a person? A daughter?

“Marinette.” Mr. Wayne’s voice pulled her back to reality and she realized she had tears running down her face. She was so pathetic. Once she focused on his face she realized he was frowning at her. Probably already regretting his decision. “I’m not going to pretend to understand what is going through your head right now, but you are safe here.” She let out a derisive snort before she cold control herself and immediately covered her mouth with her hands to stop anything else from escaping. “I assure you that even if my intentions were less than honorable Alfred and Selina would both be perfectly willing and capable of killing me and making my body disappear without a trace. Especially since they both like you more than they do me right now.”

His tone was dry but she couldn’t tell if it was okay for her to laugh. She was used to reading people's facial expressions more than their tone, especially in English. His was a mask of indifference that she couldn’t see past. That was bad. Even if he was sincere in keeping her here she needed to be able to tell when he was upset with her so she could avoid displeasing him. She couldn’t afford to make mistakes here. He let out a sigh and she flinched before she could stop herself.

“I got word from my legal team in Paris. Your parents have signed everything and all they need to do is have a judge sign off on it.” He was studying her for a reaction but she had no idea what. Should she be happy? Sad? Angry? She needed more information, she need to know what he expected of her. His expression softened slightly. “There’s still time to back out if you don’t want to do this.”

It was a kind, if empty gesture. What good would it do her to refuse now? Her parents were probably already celebrating being rid of her. If she ruined that things would be even worse once she went home. Well, back to Paris anyway. She didn’t have a home anymore, not really. That thought caused her to choke up and she couldn’t answer right away. He just waited.

“No.” Her voice cracked on the word and she cleared her throat. “No, I don’t want to back out.” He looked like he was about to question her further but there was a knock at the door. She saw him roll his eyes out of the corner of her vision.

“Well there’s the calvary come to save you from me.” This time she did smile and she could see approval in his eyes. Those were what she’d have to watch. “Come in.” As soon as the words were out the door opened. Selina stormed in looking concerned while Alfred followed more sedately behind her.

“Is everything alright in here? You two have been talking for a long time.” There was a sharpness in Selina’s tone that caused Marinette to cringe. Mr. Wayne actually leaned over to give her an encouraging pat on the knee.

“Don’t worry, that tone was directed at me not you. They seem to be under the impression that I’m going to break you.” He smiled at her and she tried her best to return it but all she could think was that it was far too late. She was already broken.

\-------------------------------------------

Selina looked back and forth between the two trying to figure out what had transpired. It was obvious that Marinette had been crying at some point but she didn’t move away when Bruce had touched her. She was far too impatient to try and work everything out.

“What have the two of you been discussing?” She was glaring at Bruce but caught Marinette’s confused look. For his part her fiance gave out an annoyed sigh.

“We’ve been talking about Marinette’s future for the most part.” She was going to ask what exactly that meant when a notification sounded from his phone. He looked at it before showing the screen to Marinette. The girl looked resigned. What exactly was going on? “Alfred, would you gather everyone in the living room? I would like to only have this discussion once.” Alfred raised an eyebrow but left to do as asked.

“What did you do?” He didn’t answer her. Instead he stood and held out a hand to Marinette who hesitantly took it.

“As I said, I’d like to only have to do this once so if you’ll follow me.” He kept hold of the girl and she just trailed along meekly at his side. Selina had no choice but to follow. When the entered the living room Dick was already there, looking confused, but they had to wait for the others. Tim and Jason came next, both eyeing Bruce as though unsure what to make of things. Alfred entered with Damian’s arm firmly in his grasp not long after. Bruce had positioned Marinette in front of him and had his hands on her shoulders as if afraid she’d bolt, and judging by her body language it seemed like a distinct possibility. He leaned down to whisper something in her ear and it caused some of her tenson to ease. 

“As you all know.” Bruce began speaking as Damian opened his mouth. Probably to demand answers. “Marinette is part of Gotham Academy’s exchange program as was placed with us. Marinette, you’ve met everyone but my youngest, Damian.” The boy just scowled at her but she was too busy examining the floor to see it.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Her voice was timid and Damian let out a scoff. Bruce glared at him until he mumbled something that may have been a greeting but there was no way to know for sure.

“I’m sure Alfred will introduce you to the girls as they make their appearances as well. The reason I asked you all here is because I have an announcement.” Dick looked excited but everyone else just looked confused. Selina just kept looking between Bruce and Marinette trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“Certain circumstances were brought to my attention that make it inadvisable for Marinette to return to Paris any time in the near future. I spoke with her parents last night and as of about ten minutes ago I became her legal guardian.” No one reacted and he sighed before pinning each of the boys with his stare. “I expect each of you to make your new sister feel welcome and help her adjust.”

Selina could only stare at him in shock as the room erupted around her.


	24. The Fallout

Bruce winced at the loudness as Marinette covered her ears. Alfred was as stoic as ever but everyone else had apparently lost their minds.

“I knew it! Timmy you owe me fifty bucks!” He could only roll his eyes at Dick’s enthusiasm. Tim was grumbling as he pulled out his wallet. The things those boys decided to bet on were ridiculous. Jason was yelling at both of them but he couldn’t understand it. He was about to call them to order when Selina grabbed his arm and yanked him away from all of them, including Marinette.

“How did you even set anything up this fast?” Her tone was neutral and that, he knew, was dangerous. He had no idea if she considered this development good or bad.

“Perhaps it would be better to have that discussion in private.” He absolutely didn’t want Marinette hearing what her parents had said to him. The girl was dealing with enough.

“This is all nonsense. No one in this house has time to babysit some worthless…” Damian’s voice was cut off by a surprised yelp.

\--------------------------------------------

Loud. That was all Marinette could think. Everything was too loud. Even with her hands over her ears it was too much. She couldn’t make out what anyone was saying but they had to be mad. Her parents never got loud like this unless she’d done something wrong. Her suspicions were confirmed when she felt Bruce let go of her shoulders. They didn’t want her. He was going to send her back. She heard a pained whimper and only vaguely realized that it came from her. 

The litany of insults started up in her head once again with nothing to ground her. Stupid, lazy, worthless. The words just kept coming as the noise from the room surrounded her. Thoughtless, disobedient, attention whore. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. She needed to breathe. A hand gripped her arm and her instincts took over. She heard a yelp and the fog around her started to clear.

The first thing she saw were the stunned faces of Dick, Jason, and Tim. Dick was holding his phone up like he was recording. Why would he be doing that? She felt something move beneath her and looked down. It was Damian. She had him pinned on the floor. Why did she have him pinned? She looked back up to see Alfred’s slightly amused expression followed by the shock on Mr. Wayne and Selina’s. Mr. Wayne was Damian’s father. She had Damian pinned on the ground. Oh dear Kwami what did she do?

The return of rational thought brought horror with it and she jumped off the boy as if burned. If there was any chance of her staying she’d just completely destroyed it. Why couldn’t she do anything right? Why did she have to mess everything up?

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She knew the words were coming from her mouth, repeating over and over. Even though she knew they wouldn’t do any good. Mr. Wayne was her legal guardian now. Her parents wouldn’t take her back even if he threw her out. What would he do with her? She’d just assaulted another one of his children. Maybe he would press charges. She didn’t know how the justice system in America worked. Would she go to jail? Would he just kick her out of the house? Why couldn’t she breathe?

“Marinette, it’s okay. You’re safe. Just try to take deep breaths. You can do it.” The voice was deep and soothing and she tried to do what it said. “That’s it you’re doing great. Just breathe.” Her vision started to clear and Mr. Wayne was in front of her looking concerned. Why was he looking at her like that if he was going to throw her out? Why didn’t anything make sense?

“Perhaps Miss Kyle should take Miss Marinette up to her room to calm down.” Alfred’s voice broke through her confusion, but she still didn’t understand what was happening.

“That’s a good idea. Marinette, look at me.” She blinked and turned her head back to Mr. Wayne. “That’s very good. I want you to listen to me carefully okay?” She just gave a jerky nod. “You’re not in trouble. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He said the words slowly, deliberately. They still didn’t make sense to her.

“But…”

“No buts.” He rested his hands on her shoulders again and it helped ground her. “Damian had no right to grab you like that you were just defending yourself. You did nothing wrong.” There was something about those words in that order. They didn’t make sense and she wasn’t sure why. He gave her a pitying look. “Everything’s fine. Just go with Selina and calm down okay?”

“Okay.” She echoed the word more out of habit than anything else. Selina took her hand and led back to her room, but she still couldn’t seem to focus.

\--------------------------------------

There was dead silence as the girls left. Bruce looked at Alfred and saw his look of concern mirrored in the man’s eyes. When she’d said she pinned Dick he hadn’t really thought about it, but that type of violent reaction said she’d been traumatized by more than words. 

“Please tell me you got that on camera!” Jason’s voice shattered the calm and Bruce turned to glare at him only to find his three oldest crowded around Dick’s phone. Damian was glaring at all of them, but it was lost on the subjects of his ire. Bruce could only shake his head as he walked over to the boys. 

“Hey!” Dick’s tone was filled with annoyance as Bruce took his phone. He just glared at all of them. There were some grumbles, but they didn’t push the issue. He pushed play on the video. He needed to see exactly what happened since his back was turned at the time.

Marinette was just standing there covering her ears and shaking. She had been panicking and none of them had noticed. When Damian grabbed her arm her eyes shot open but they had a glazed look. She grabbed his hand and twisted his arm up in a practiced defensive move before sweeping his feet and pinning him to the ground. It was more than impressive if he was being honest. Even if it was troubling that this was her first instinct when being touched.

“I suppose she’s not too much of a liability.” Damian’s grumbled words at his elbow startled him. When he looked down at the boy he wouldn’t meet his gaze. Instead he left the room as if nothing had happened. At least something good came out of this.


	25. Questions and Answers

Selina had moved the chair next to the bed so she could face Marinette and was rubbing soothing circles on her forearms to try and keep her grounded. She wasn’t in a full on panic attack anymore but she still hadn’t seemed to come fully back to reality. There was a soft knock at the door followed by Bruce poking his head in.

“How is she?” His voice was pitched low and Marinette didn’t react to him at all. Selina sighed.

“Not quite catatonic but close. Seriously Bruce, how on earth did you manage to get guardianship of her so fast?” She kept her tone soothing and neutral so that it wouldn’t set Marinette off again. She wasn’t mad at him, she just hadn’t expected it with the way he’d been acting. He looked at Marinette and she could see pity and concern in his eyes.

“It wasn’t anywhere near as difficult as it should have been.” He sat down next to her and slowly reached out to rub her back. She didn’t react at all. “Marinette, can you hear me?” She gave a jerky nod.

“Am I going to jail?” She sounded resigned and Selina shared a look with Bruce.

“Of course not sweetheart. Like Bruce said, you didn’t do anything wrong.” She wasn’t sure how much would get through to her so she kept her words short and simple.

“Did I hurt Damian?” Bruce let out an amused chuckle and Selina glared at him. He had the audacity to roll his eyes at her.

“Maybe his pride, but he needed to be brought down a few pegs anyway. I think the fact that you subdued him without harming him made it worse actually.” Marinette blinked and turned to look at Bruce in confusion.

“Shouldn’t you be more upset that I keep attacking your children?” The poor girl sounded so lost.

“You didn’t attack anyone. You were defending yourself and my children need to learn to keep their hands to themselves. I am concerned that you feel you need to defend yourself though. Can you tell me why that is?” Selina was glad he’d finally found a tone that didn’t set the girl off, but this kind of questioning was likely to do it anyway. He just kept rubbing her back though and she didn’t really seem to process the question, or her answer.

“People stopped hugging me, or being nice. It’s never good when they touch me. Worse since I wouldn’t abandon Adrien.” He hesitated and Selina was almost scared of what his next question would be.

“What about your parents?” She shook her head. Selina was sure if it was a response or if she was trying to clear it.

“They never touch me at all anymore. I haven’t deserved physical affection from them for a long time.” Selina wasn’t sure what concerned her more. That she’d been told that enough for it to be her default answer, or that she might truly believe it. Bruce didn’t seem to know how to respond to that at all. Luckily there was another knock at the door. Marinette flinched which wasn’t great but it did mean she was responding more to outside stimulus. Alfred entered but stayed by the door.

“Mr. Stone and Ms. Rolling are here. Shall I send them up?” Marinette perked up slightly at the names.

“Yes, please do. Just mention it would be good for them to be calm.” Selina could tell Bruce was picking his words carefully to avoid making Marinette feel guilty.

“Of course Master Bruce.” The two entered a few minutes later and seemed to read the situation immediately. Penny took Bruce’s spot while Jagged took Selina’s

“We’ll be just outside if you need us.” Selina practically dragged Bruce into the hallway once they acknowledged they heard her. “Explain.” Bruce sighed and dragged a hand down his face.

“I called her parents last night to try and get a better understanding of the situation under the guise of asking for clarification on the letter her mother sent. I’m not entirely certain what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t more accusations and a very detailed description of the institution they planned on sending their daughter to once she became too much for me to handle.” The last was said in a dry tone and given his other children she could understand why.

“Institution? You mean the school she mentioned in the letter?” His face hardened.

“That place is not a school. It’s a place to rehabilitate criminals. I was looking it up while talking to them and it’s not even primarily for children. They were going to send her to be locked up with actual adult criminals. And I’m not talking white collar crime either.” Selina could only stare at him but she felt her hands clench. “As soon as I saw that I knew that whether I had all the information or not she couldn’t go back. Convincing them to give up their parental rights was far too easy, especially when I pointed out how expensive it would be to send her there. They seemed relieved by the end of it.”

“Bruce?” He just raised an eyebrow at her. “Thank you.” He gave her a wan look.

“Don’t thank me yet. Being here is just as likely to cause more damage as it is to help.”


	26. Jagged's Reaction

The fog in Marinette’s mind cleared slowly but her confusion only increased when she saw Uncle Jagged in front of her. He hadn’t been here before had he? She looked over to see Penny next to her. That made sense if Jagged was here but she still didn’t understand.

“That’s it Mari. We’re right here. You’re safe and everything’s going to be fine.” She could only nod at Penny’s words. “Can you tell us what happened?” Everything was still numb. She knew she should be scared or worried but it all felt so far away.

“I attacked Damian.” Penny sucked in a sharp breath but Jagged’s face filled with glee in front of her. Was that how you were supposed to react?

“Did you really? I would have loved to see that. I’m sure the little monster deserved it.” Penny glared at her fiance but he just shrugged at her so she rolled her eyes.

“Can you tell us how it happened?” She tried to concentrate and as she did the panic slowly returned.

“Mr. Wayne was telling everyone that he’d officially taken custody of me and everything got so loud. Damian grabbed my arm and I just…” Jagged stopped her before she could keep going, interrupting the start of another spiral.

“Hold on. What do you mean he took custody of you?” Jagged’s tone was… not mad exactly but she could tell he wasn’t happy and leaned away from him. “It’s okay Mari, I’m not upset with you. I’m just confused.”

“I… He called my parents and… and they don’t want me anymore.” She felt tears at the back of her eyes but she felt Penny’s arms tighten around her and saw the flash of rage in Jagged’s eyes.

“He told you that?” She could see Jagged getting angrier and didn’t know what she’d done to cause it.

“Jagged.” The warning in Penny’s tone caused him to look at her again and his gaze softened before he reached out a hand. She took it in both of hers grateful that they didn’t want to leave her too.

“He… he said that wasn’t it but I know how much of a burden I’ve been on them. They’re right to not want me back.” They both opened their mouths to argue but she kept going. “They spent so much time and money trying to fix me. It’s my fault I should have tried harder.”

\----------------------------------  
Bruce and Selina had come back in unnoticed and he felt his blood pressure rising as he listened to the girl blame herself. He could see the murderous look on Selina’s face as well. He tried to take a deep breath. Their anger would be worse than useless right now. He walked over and was pleasantly surprised when Marinette didn’t flinch at his appearance. It wasn’t much but it was progress.

“Marinette your parents set impossibly high and inappropriate standards for you to follow. You were set up to fail and that is not your fault.” She just blinked at him but he could tell she was trying to come up with an argument to prove him wrong. “Not only that but they deprived you of things that no parent should even consider using as punishment.”

“He’s right M.” Jagged’s voice was soft and Marinette turned her confused gaze to him. “It was bad enough that they compromised your future by refusing to let you do commissions but it’s completely unsupportable that they made you stop designing entirely. Chloe told me what they did to the sketchbook she gave you.” 

“My fault. I shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place. I knew they wouldn’t like it but I didn’t want Chloe to think I was ungrateful either.” Bruce heard Selina blow out an agitated breath beside him and he had to fight not to do the same.

“Oh kiddo, you know Chloe wouldn’t have held it against you. She would have just held onto it until it was safe for you to have it.” Bruce watched the girl nod but the way she wouldn’t make eye contact made it seem like she wasn’t certain. He had a feeling that had nothing to do with Chloe and everything to do with her belief that everyone would abandon her.

“Selina why don’t you and Penny stay here with Marinette while I talk to Jagged.” Marinette’s eyes shot up and she looked horrified. He couldn’t figure out what in that sentence set her off.

“I’m so sorry! I’m keeping all of you from work. I’ll be fine by myself.” She looked close to tears and every single adult in the room was wearing an expression that said she absolutely would not be fine. Bruce tried to give an encouraging smile.

“You’re not keeping us from anything. There isn’t a time limit on charity work. I just thought you might like a little girl time.” No one in that room believed him, least of all Marinette but she wasn’t going to call him out on it. He sighed. Lying to her wasn’t the best option then. “Fine. I think having all of us in here is a bit overwhelming for you and I’d like to discuss a few things with Mr. Stone.” She gave a hesitant nod and Selina took her spot back as he escorted Jagged out of the room.

“You want to tell me just what the hell you think you’re doing?” The man’s tone was aggressive and Bruce couldn’t blame him considering everything he was learning.

“I’m trying to keep her in an environment where she can heal. Having the threat of being sent home held over her wasn’t going to allow that. I also talked to her parents and learned some things that made it necessary to move quickly.” Jagged opened his mouth to speak, but Bruce just kept going. “I understand that you don’t trust me and I respect that, but you have to understand that any attempt to get Marinette to emancipate herself would have failed and very likely landed her in the institution her parents wanted to send her to. On the very slim chance it would have succeeded you can’t honestly tell me that girl would be able to survive on her own.”

“She wouldn’t have been on her own. She would have had us and her friends.” The words seemed almost reactionary but there was no bite behind them.

“She’ll still have all of you. I’m not going to restrict who she talks to unless it makes her mental health worse. Speaking of which I’d like to talk to you and Penny about who I should be worried about contacting her. It’s rather obvious her parents weren’t the only ones placing pressure on her to be whatever it is they wanted her to be.” The man sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“Honestly it’d be quicker to give you a list of people won’t harm her than those that will. I can give you two names that should be denied access at all costs. Alya Cesaire and Lila Rossi.” Bruce frowned at the second name.

“Isn’t she the one that was actually helping Gabriel? Shouldn’t she be incarcerated?” Jagged let out an annoyed breath.

“Yes she should. Unfortunately the police didn’t want to deal with her so they just deported her back to Italy. They claimed there wasn’t enough evidence. That narcissistic liar is what started everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Adrien or Chloe would be able to give you more details but from what I understand that girl hated Mari, probably because she didn’t believe the garbage coming out of her mouth. She was a terrible liar for the most part but she managed to plant seeds of doubt in her classmates that spread like weeds. Her classmates spread those weeds to her parents though I still don’t know how that happened. We just came back from a tour after being gone for four months and it was like they’d completely changed. Mari still won’t talk about it.”

“She said she was lying to her parents. Do you know what about?” Jagged just looked at him like he’d gone insane.

“That girl is a terrible liar because she feels guilty about everything. I can’t see her even trying unless it was a matter of life and death.” He was afraid of that. The more he looked into things the more Jason and Tim’s theory seemed to fit. That was concerning on so many levels.


	27. Alfred's Surprise

“Is Miss Marinette feeling better?” Alfred’s voice pulled Bruce out of his thoughts and he couldn’t help but wonder what better even meant in this case.

“She’s responsive and calm for the moment. I believe it was the loudness that set her off earlier. We’re going to need to keep track of everything that triggers her. I have a feeling it’s going to be an extremely long list.” Her parents had made her afraid of everything but helping people it seemed.

“I’ve already set up a shared document that everyone can read and add to. I’ve texted it to everyone’s phone. It has columns for both triggers and things that keep Miss Marinette calm.” Bruce pulled out his phone to find the link and found that the boys had already added their own notes.

“Penny and I can help with that if you give us access.” Jagged was frowning at an entry Dick made about reacting poorly to being touched by unknown males.

“Do you know why she has an issue being touched by men?” The man’s face hardened at Bruce’s question and he wasn’t certain he was going to get an answer.

“Her parents told you she slept around right?” Bruce just nodded. Jagged looked like he was on the verge of murder. “Before they stopped her business she got a call about a quote. They gave her an address to go to. When she got there…” He had to pause and take deep breaths. Bruce wasn’t even sure he wanted to hear where this was headed. “When she got there a man was waiting for her. She managed to subdue him before he could do more than give her a few bruises thank god, but ever since she’s been skittish around men she doesn’t know.”

“And why would that make her parents think she was sleeping around?” Alfred asked the question. Bruce was too furious to talk. He couldn’t even see straight at this point.

“When the police got there the guy said he’d just answered an online ad. Someone set it up with Mari’s name but there was no way for them to trace who actually posted it. Everyone just assumed she’d set it up and chickened out at the last moment, or was trying to get sympathy. There was a lot of bullshit going around at the time.” Bruce could only glare at the wall.

“Her parents actually believed that?” Alfred’s voice was deceptively calm but Bruce knew the man about three seconds from hopping a plane to Paris. Bruce didn’t want to waste the time but he could make a phone call…

“By then everything was already so messed up. I don’t know what they believed or said to her but she changed after that and not just with the way she acted around strangers. She wouldn’t go anywhere alone. She insisted on other people being present when she opened any type of correspondence. Text, e-mail, didn’t matter what it was. She wouldn’t look at it by herself. It’s like she felt she needed a witness for everything that happened in her life. I wish I could say she was wrong.”

“Any thoughts on who set her up?” Bruce eyed Alfred warily. If Jagged had a name that person very well might disappear in the next few days. As much as he didn’t advocate killing there were certainly times to look the other way.

“Plenty of thoughts but no proof. If I knew for sure I would have fed them to Fang a long time ago.” Bruce let out the breath he’d been unconsciously holding. The more he found out about Marinette the more certain he was that he’d done the right thing. There was no way even his kids could be worse than what she’d already had to deal with. He was dreading having to tell Selina about this though. If there were many more things like this in Marinette’s past he wouldn’t be able to stop her from burning Paris to the ground. He wasn’t even sure he’d try to stop her at this point.

“I’ll make sure Jason knows to tell Syd she needs to back off anyone who tries to crowd her.” Alfred looked amused and Jagged actually laughed.

“I thought you didn’t want that kid around Mari.” Bruce frowned at Jagged.

“That was before I knew she’d need a bodyguard. No one messes with that girl and if she’s with Marinette, she’ll get the same protection.”

“Master Bruce is quite right. Miss Sydney is very capable. For now though I have a surprise for Miss Marinette if you think she’s well enough for it.” Bruce raised an eyebrow at Jagged but the man just shrugged.

“What kind of surprise?” Bruce knew that Alfred wouldn’t do anything to intentionally upset the girl but at this point they didn’t know what even half of those things were.

“A good one.” Because that was helpful. In the end Bruce had to trust Alfred’s judgement. He just hoped he wouldn’t regret it later.

When they walked into the room he was shocked to hear Marinette giggling. Selina was recounting some story involving Dick and Tim but he couldn’t pay attention to it. As far as he knew this was the first time Marinette had relaxed enough to laugh. Now he really hoped Alfred’s surprise didn’t set her back. He froze in the doorway slightly afraid of what Selina would do to him if he startled the girl. Jagged had no such reservations.

“What’s so funny?” Marinette turned and immediately drew in on herself huddling closer to Penny. Any signs of laughter wiped away in an instant. He hazarded a look at Selina but she just looked concerned.

“I was just filling Marinette in on some of the insanity she agreed to be a part of.” That was the understatement of the century. Forget their other lives, all his kids were disasters anyway. For all she’d been though Marinette was probably the most normal, even if it turned out she was a superhero.

“Miss Marinette.” Alfred had stepped past him but Bruce simply stayed where he was. He knew he made the girl nervous, hell she still hadn’t called him anything besides Mr. Wayne yet. The furtive looks she shot at him didn’t go unnoticed by anyone. “I’d like to show you something.”

“Okay.” Her voice was soft. Anyone else would have asked what it was but she just accepted it. Maybe her parents had punished inquisitiveness as well. Just the thought made it necessary to calm himself down. Alfred took her hand and led her to a door opposite the bathroom and closet.

“This house was originally set up for occupants to have suites of rooms, generally two or three.” She’d tensed as they neared the door and Bruce thought Alfred was talking to try and calm her down. “Your room is connected to a second that was originally used as a sitting room. I decided to convert it for your use.” He opened the door and reached in to turn on the light. Bruce couldn’t see Marinette’s expression but he heard her surprised gasp.

The room was split into sections. Around the large window were a couple of cushioned chairs to take advantage of the view into the gardens. It would be a good place to draw, read, or just get lost in thought. Next was a section that was obviously meant for design. There was a work table with a sewing machine as well as shelves and drawers full of fabrics, threads, buttons, and who knows what else. Last was an area obviously meant for study. It held a desk, office supplies, her school books, a laptop, and finally a new cell phone. Even for Alfred it was impressive that he’d managed to set this up in one day.

“Well, what do you think?” The question came from Selina and Marinette turned just enough for Bruce to see tears in her eyes and a hurt expression on her face. She didn’t answer, but rather just kept shaking her head. Everything in him screamed ‘abort’ but he needed to understand her reaction.

“Marinette.” She looked at him and there was so much raw pain there. He was going to ask her what was wrong but it seemed like such an inadequate question. He also wasn’t sure she’d give him a straight answer. She’d looked hurt. Why would… the answer hit him fast and hard. He walked over and knelt down so he’d be at her eye level. “This room is here for you. Everything in it is yours. I know your parents wouldn’t let you design or use electronics, but those restrictions don’t apply here. Do you understand?”

The poor girl looked so confused. It was too much too fast. She’d been denied everything she loved from her passion to her friends to her parents affections. She couldn’t wrap her brain around the thought that she could have any let alone all of it back. He really should have pressed Alfred more about this surprise. He didn’t have the first clue on how to backtrack from this either.

“How about we start with one thing at a time okay?” He made his voice as gentle as possible and it seemed to help.

“Okay.” The response was just rote at this point but he’d take it. He stood and held out a hand which she hesitantly took. He led her over to the desk that was obviously meant for school. This would be the most familiar, the easiest to accept.

“These are all the things you need for school, though I’m sure Selina will be happy to take you to get some more personalized supplies if you want.” She shot him a scared look at the last part. Was she afraid of taking up Selina’s time, or frightened that the words were a trap? This was exhausting. She kept eyeing the phone and laptop like they were going to bite her. “You’ll need the computer for school, but you don’t have to only use it for that. If you want someone with you at first when you use it to make sure everything you’re doing is acceptable you can ask any of us, alright?”

“Okay.” She still seemed uncertain but the offer of a chaperone of sorts seemed to set her at ease. Maybe Jagged was right when he said she needed witnesses.

“This phone is for you as well.” He picked it up and put it in her hand. She actually started shaking. “All of our numbers are programmed in it as well as a few others Alfred thought you’d appreciate. The GPS is active so that we can find you just because Gotham is a dangerous city and if there’s an attack I like to be able to find everyone.” Again she relaxed slightly. Everything in her life had been monitored for so long she didn’t know how to react when someone wasn’t watching her. She began looking through the contacts and her face turned into a confused frown.

“Are Adrien and Chloe’s numbers in her so I don’t accidentally answer if they call?” The question was timid, like she thought she’d be punished for not understanding on her own. Because of that it took him a moment to process what she’d actually said.

“Why would you think that?” She hesitated and refused to look up. When she did answer it came out in a mumble as though she didn’t want to be heard.

“Because I’m not allowed to talk to them.” Bruce felt a headache forming. This situation was so surreal for him. He knew how to deal with kids who pushed boundaries and broke rules. He did not have any clue how to make a kid stop following rules that had been put in place by someone else. He gently put a hand under her chin and forced her to look up at him. The fear in her eyes made him physically hurt.

“You’re parents didn’t allow you to talk to them but your parents aren’t here and they no longer have a say in your actions. Their numbers, along with Jagged and Penny’s are in your phone so that you can talk to them. Whenever you want.” Her expression went completely blank. Shit, he broke her.


	28. Programmed Overthinking

This shouldn’t be confusing. Marinette knew that. She knew she should be grateful and say thank you. She knew that. But she’d spent so long as both Ladybug and Marinette second guessing everything. Always trying to think ten steps ahead to avoid the fall out. As Marinette she’d spent the last year replaying everyone’s words and actions, trying to find their hidden agendas. They always had one. Everything her classmates did was to set her up so they could run to her parents and get her in trouble. Every time her parents had given her leeway it had been a trick or a trap. The question was what was the hidden agenda here?

The simplest answer was that Mr. Wayne was acting on her parents behalf to see if she would break their rules once she thought she was free of them. Anything she did, anything she touched could get her sent back. Get her put in the institution. Maybe the guardianship had been a ruse. She didn’t see the paperwork only a vague text to say the judge had signed off on it. Mr. Wayne was a businessman, that text could have been about a hundred different things.

If it was real then maybe they were testing her to see if she’d fall back into old habits and patterns. He could be trying to make her comfortable to see if her actions could be linked to her file. The last option was that she was being given all this so it could be taken away as punishment when she failed to meet their standards. The Wayne family was widely known and she’d bring nothing but disgrace to it. Just being associated with her would make it harder for him to do business in Paris, possibly all of France. There was no way she’d remain in his good graces even if he seemed to pity her at this moment.

There were too many unknowns. Too many things she didn’t understand. She felt the phone still in her hand and wished she could actually call her friends. Adrien and Chloe both grew up in affluent families, they’d know what game was being played. They’d be able to tell her how to proceed. But she couldn’t do that. She couldn’t take the risk that it was a trap or a trick. She couldn’t do anything. But he was waiting for a response. She didn’t know what to do.

“Marinette.” She blinked at him and realized he’d knelt down in front of her again. When had that happened? “I’m not sure exactly what is going on in your head but I doubt it’s positive.” She felt tears sting the back of her eyes and dropped them to the floor. Her thoughts felt muddled and she couldn’t come up with a solution. That had happened more and more since she lost Tikki. Maybe she’d never been that smart or special. Maybe it was just because of Tikki, just like her confidence.

“I’m sorry.” She knew it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. No one wanted to hear apologies or excuses, but she didn’t know what else to do. And she was sorry.

“Sweetheart you don’t have to apologize.” Selina’s voice was calm and soothing but it just made her feel more guilty. “If you tell us what you were thinking maybe we can help.” She felt herself cringe away from them but couldn’t control it. She couldn’t let them know what she was thinking. If she did they might just come up with a different test, one she didn’t see coming. Given she couldn’t even solve this puzzle she certainly didn’t want a different one. She felt her breathing start to shorten as she tried to come up with something, anything to say.

“Marinette, no one is going to be mad at you or punish you for your thoughts. No one is going to punish you for using anything in this room you have my word.” Mr. Wayne’s earnest tone caused her to speak before she could stop herself.

“That’s not how it works.” He looked confused and when she dared to glance at the others they did too. Her attention was pulled back to him when he spoke.

“Not how what works exactly?” It was another trap and she’d fallen straight into it. Either she backtracked and lied or she told the truth. Was it worse to be punished or have to face a new test? She couldn’t lie, not when she didn’t have to. She felt her shoulders slump and mumbled her words towards the floor.

“Nothing is ever that straight forward. There’s always a trick or a hidden reason.” She heard shuffling from the direction Jagged and Penny were in but otherwise it was silence. She’d made him mad, she knew it.

“Can you give me an example of what you mean?” His voice was still soft but she heard an edge in it. This was bad. Marinette handed the phone back to him before she spoke.

“Four months ago my parents gave me back my phone privileges. They said I could call Adrien or Chloe once a week. One or the other, not both. They made that very clear.” She’d known they were monitoring the calls, but she didn’t think past the obvious restriction. “I called Chloe the next week and Adrien was with her at the time so I got to talk to both. That wasn’t acceptable. I broke their rules because it was supposed to be just one of them. That’s why I’m not allowed to call them anymore, because I can’t be trusted to do as I’m told.” She could feel tears on her face but couldn’t do anything to stop them. She didn’t think hard enough, didn’t put it together fast enough. She should have been able to understand better.

—————————————-

Bruce just stared at the phone in his hand before looking up to see varying expressions of horror and anger on everyone’s faces. At least now he understood why she’d seemed afraid of the phone. How was he even supposed to begin to help her if she thought everything coming out of his mouth was a lie? Or at least a half truth.

“Marinette, why do you think Alfred set all of this up for you?” She hugged herself and he could see tears dripping off her face. Her mental battle was visible in every shiver or head shake. How did anyone live like that? She saw danger everywhere, even more so than him.

“I’m not sure.” The words were forced and he could tell she meant them. But given everything that just meant she had multiple bad scenarios running through her mind.

“Is there anything I can say or do to make you believe that it’s because we want you to be happy and comfortable here?” That actually caused her to meet his eyes. He saw fear first followed by panic then they settled into guilt.

“I’m not trying to be ungrateful. I just… I don’t…. I don’t deserve to be happy.” She actually believed that. There was no doubt in his mind. She’d been conditioned to believe she was at fault. Conditioned to believe that everyone deserves more than she does. Conditioned to believe that she was nothing but a problem to be dealt with. How did you even begin to reprogram that kind of thinking?

“Would you like to go help Alfred make dinner?” He had no idea where the words came from but she brightened immediately. For right now she needed to feel useful. They could manage that at least.


	29. Old Friends

Once Alfred had left with Marinette, Bruce just stared at the phone she’d handed back to him. Normally he could come up with a plan of action. At the very least he could come up with a first step. But this? He had absolutely no idea what to do.

He could hear Selina talking to Jagged and Penny but couldn’t force himself to focus on it. There had to be something he could do to get Marinette to believe he wasn’t going to turn into her parents. Giving her the things that had been taken away had been too much. Maybe they should have started smaller, but it was too late now. He could as her to mend something to get her back into sewing. It would be helping others so she might go for it. From there he could ask her to design a dress for Selina to wear to the next gala they had to attend. There was always one coming up. But none of that really helped with her feeling more comfortable, certainly not right away.

He was still staring at the phone, thinking when the obvious answer jumped out at him. It was simple and literally right in front of him. He pulled out his own phone as he cursed himself for being an idiot under his breath. He hit the call button and waited.

“Hello?” The boys voice sounded weary.

“Hello Adrien is this a bad time?” There was complete silence and Bruce realized that Selina, Jagged, and Penny were all staring at him. He just raised an eyebrow at them.

“Mr. Wayne?” He sounded a bit confused, the way Tim sounded when he just woke up or hadn’t slept in three days.

“Yes, it’s me. I was hoping to speak to you about Marinette but if this isn’t a good time…”

“No! I mean yes this is a good time. What’s wrong with Mari?” He heard a female voice in the background and remembered Tim saying he’d talked with Adrien and Chloe.

“Is Mlle. Bourgeois with you?” There was more noise in the background and Bruce could tell he’d been put on speaker.

“Yes, I’m here. Now what is wrong with Mari?” The demand in her tone caused him to smile.

“Nothing urgent. I was actually hoping for some advice. Marinette is having some difficulty settling in and our attempts to make her more comfortable have failed rather spectacularly.” There was dead silence again and he had to wonder what they were doing.

———————————————————

Adrien and Chloe had known each other a long time. Possibly too long given the current non verbal communication. With a shrug or raised eyebrow they could communicate even better than when they used words. They argued with each other in this manner for a minute about whether Bruce Wayne could be trusted before Chloe spoke.

“I’m assuming you told her she could do something her parents outlawed?” Adrien rolled his eyes at the phrasing but he couldn’t really deny the accuracy. Mari’s parents had turned into complete control freaks after the class started accusing her of everything from being a bad friend to being a terrorist.

“That may be a bit of an understatement.” He could hear the guilt in the man’s voice. Well that wasn’t good.

“Mari won’t do anything that could get her sent back. We were debating on visiting but we don’t want to get her in trouble. I’m sure she’s even more cautious than normal right now.” Chloe sounded matter of fact but Adrien knew how much it hurt her to stay away. Once she and Marinette put the past behind them they were inseparable. It was killing her not being able to talk to Mari.

“What if there’s no chance of her being sent back?” Adrien shared a confused look with Chloe before speaking.

“She has to go back eventually. Even if it’s at the end of the exchange program Mari will immediately tell her parents all the things she did that broke their rules out of guilt. The last thing she wants to do is disappoint them, but she’ll see keeping that information from them as lying. She won’t be able to stop herself.” It was one of the many reasons he couldn’t understand her parents attitude shift.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t give you all the details. As of this morning I am Marinette’s legal guardian so she won’t be going back to Paris or her parents.” They were both too stunned to speak. Adrien was having trouble processing the words let alone the concept. “I believe we tried too much too fast and she’s obviously been programmed to look for the worst case scenario. I’m not certain what’s going through her mind but she doesn’t trust me, which is certainly understandable.”

“You’re Mari’s legal guardian? Her parents have no rights to her at all?” Chloe spoke slowly, almost as if she was saying if for their benefit rather than actually asking a question. Adrien couldn’t blame her. The concept that Mari was free of Paris was overwhelming, even if it was something they’d been plotting themselves.

“That’s correct.”

“And you aren’t maintaining any of the restrictions they had on her?” The excitement he could see shining in Chloe’s eyes worried him.

“Not to my knowledge.” Adrien felt a shiver go down his spine at her smile. He really didn’t have good luck when she wore that smile.

“We’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.” She hit the end call button and Adrien just stared at her. “What? She needs us, you said it yourself.”

“Chloe you didn’t even ask if it was alright. You’re the one who said you didn’t want to get Mari in trouble.” He hated it when she reversed like this.

“You heard him Adrien. No restrictions. We can go see her. If he was set against the idea he would have called you back immediately.”

“Okay, that’s fair but–”

“No buts. Start packing.”


	30. Sibling Dynamics and Preparation

Dinner at the manor tended to be far more exciting than it should be and tonight was no exception. Damian marched into the room with a determined look on his face and walked straight up to Marinette. Bruce couldn’t decide if he wanted to stop him in time.

“I’ve studied the video from earlier and I want a rematch to prove my skills are superior.” Bruce could only shake his head and sigh in annoyance. Of course the boy was fixated on that. Marinette blinked at him, then looked to everyone else in the room before settling her confused gaze back on Damian.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Bruce noticed the way her eyes kept bouncing between him and Damian. He wasn’t certain if she was just trying to gauge his reaction or if she was waiting for him to yell at her.

“So you admit I’m superior.” That brought her full attention back to Damian.

“I didn’t… I’m not… I’ve never seen you fight.” Even when she was trying to stay under the radar she wouldn’t lie, not even by omission. Interesting.

“Then we will spar and prove who is better.” Marinette seemed lost and looked to him for an answer. Bruce gave her an encouraging smile.

“You can if you want. As long as the two of you don’t hurt each other sparring is perfectly fine.” She looked hesitant, until Damian scoffed.

“She’s not enough of a threat to be worth hurting.” Bruce saw the slight change in expression on Marinette’s face. It was barely noticeable but he saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes.

“If it will put your mind at ease we can spar.” Damian settled into a fighting stance. Well, he hadn’t expected him to do it in the dining room but okay. Marinette didn’t change positions but Bruce noticed a shift in her posture. Different muscles tightening or relaxing which changed her center of gravity. He could tell she wasn’t professionally trained but she was obviously used to fighting in her own way. He tried to fight a small smile and failed. Damian had no idea what he was getting into.

Marinette just waited and Damian got impatient. He shot a hand out to grab her arm and Bruce watched as she easily sidestepped and grabbed Damian’s wrist instead. Within seconds she had him pinned against the wall. Bruce noticed Dick was recording again. Damian was never going to live this down.

Marinette held him long enough for everyone to see he wasn’t going to be able to break her hold before she let go and stepped back. She was still poised to defend herself and didn’t take her eyes off Damian as he pushed away from the wall and straightened his clothes. When he turned Bruce could see the calculations running behind his sons eyes.

“Perhaps we should have a real sparring session. While your moves are rudimentary at best your reflexes are adequate. You would benefit from proper training.” Damian just walked to his seat and acted like nothing had happened. Bruce gave Marinette another encouraging smile when she glanced back to see his reaction. The other boys were all rewatching the video and laughing. When Selina walked into the room she caught the atmosphere immediately and went to hover over Marinette.

———————————————

“It’s really okay, I’ll be fine by myself.” Marinette wasn’t sure that was true, but she couldn’t keep inconveniencing Selina. Judging by the look on the woman’s face she wasn’t convincing her either.

“If you’re sure.” She made no move to leave and was fiddling with a paper in her hands.

“I’m am. I should just head to bed so I can be ready for tomorrow.” Monday morning. New school and all new people. As happy as she was to have gotten into the program, she really wasn’t looking forward to actually being in school again.

“Alfred wanted me to give you this. It’s a packing list of sorts so you don’t forget anything you need for school.” Marinette smiled at his thoughtfulness. The list was split into two sections, the first things that she would definitely need, and the second was suggested extras. “I should probably get things ready tonight. I’m not great at waking up in the mornings.”

“Sensible decision. If you need anything we’re at the end of the hall okay?” Marinette just nodded and Selina left closing the door behind her. It was strange and she realized this was the first time she’d been alone since the incident at the airport. She felt her breathing get shallower and had to concentrate on evening it out. She could do this, she was fine. She decided to concentrate on the list in her hands again, it was something she could do. Unfortunately it meant going into the other room. She still wasn’t sure what to make of it.

She had to pause at the door and take a few deep breaths before opening it. Once she finally managed to open the door she headed straight towards the desk Mr. Wayne had taken her to earlier. It was best to not think about the rest for now. Not until she’d had time to figure out the hidden motives were. Once she got to the desk she looked at the list again. She piled everything from the first section into a pile. Her books, folders, a couple notebooks, various writing implements, the laptop and phone. Her hands shook as she added the last two. She’d only use them when absolutely necessary. Then she looked at the optional items.

The first one was a sketchbook and there were actually a few of them on the desk for her to choose from. Different sizes and types of paper. She ran a hand along the spines but couldn’t bring herself to grab any of them. It had been four months since she’d purposefully drawn anything. She’d spaced out a few times and doodled in one of her notebooks and her parents hadn’t reacted well but other than that all her designing had been done in her head. She hadn’t been able to stop entirely even though she’d tried.

The rest of the list consisted of things like drawing pencils, a pencil sharpener, tissues (there were little travel packs for her to use), and other small things that could be useful. It was rather through. She did end up adding a few things but for the most part couldn’t justify it to herself. The next question was what to put it in. She found three different backpacks. They were all a bit plain, one messenger style and the other two standard backpacks. There was a note saying she could customize any of them to her liking. It got her thinking about what she could add or stitch to them and that was dangerous territory. She ended up packing everything into the messenger bag and taking it back to the bedroom and pulled out her new uniform to lay on a chair. At least this way when she woke up late she’d be able to just get dressed and go.


	31. Going to School

Marinette had a terrible night. She lost count of how many times she woke from nightmares. Some were from her time as Ladybug but most were her parents or classmates yelling at her. The worst was one with Tikki telling her that she never should have gotten a Miraculous. It was all a big mistake. That one hurt the most even though it had the least truth to it. By the time Alfred knocked on her door to announce breakfast would be ready in half an hour she was grateful even though it felt like she hadn’t slept at all.

It was a bit strange to have time to get ready. As muddled as her head felt she was still glad she’d packed her bag the night before. She was surprised that Alfred thought to wake her. Her parents had always left her to her own devices, she was old enough to be responsible, then they’d punish her for being late. It was different having someone check on her before it was a problem.

Breakfast was quiet. Bruce, Dick, and Tim were already out of the house. She was honestly about to fall asleep at the table when Alfred brought her coffee and a large travel mug to prepare how she wanted and take to school with her. She got up and hugged him before she could second guess the impulse.

The ride to school was nerve wracking. Jason and Damian were insulting each other the whole time but she couldn’t focus on it. She couldn’t stop all the worries going through her mind. What if the teachers didn’t like her? What if she got in trouble? What if she got lost? It all just kept going around in her head.

When they reached the school, Alfred wished them a good day before driving off. She was standing on the sidewalk, staring at the school but she couldn’t bring herself to move. Jason and Damian appeared on either side of her.

“I don’t pretend to understand why my father became your legal guardian but he did and that makes you one of us now. You are not a rabbit to be scared and run off at the first loud noise. You are a Wayne and I expect you to show everyone here that you aren’t to be trifled with.” Damian didn’t wait for a response he just headed up the steps. Jason stayed with her.

“Ignore him. His mother put some seriously screwed up ideas in his head.” He held out a hand. “Come on. I’ll show you to the office to get your schedule. Syd’s supposed to meet us there.” Marinette took his hand and let him tug her through the building. People were staring and whispering. She just wanted to disappear. Damian’s words replayed in her head and she straightened up giving off an air of entitlement she’d seen Chloe cloak herself with time and again. Jason gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

After what felt like hours they finally reached the office. Jason led her to the reception desk and asked for her schedule. The woman behind the desk gave her a warm smile that she tried to return.

“Mr. Sardis will be here shortly to show you to your class.” Marinette frowned in confusion but the scowl on Jason’s face said Mr. Sardis wasn’t a teacher.

“Syd is supposed to show her around. Bruce was very specific.” That just caused even more confusion. Wasn’t that who Bruce hadn’t wanted her to be with?

“Why would you want that street urchin when you could have me?” The voice was enough to make Marinette shiver in revulsion. He sounded slimy, sort of the way Lila did when she was trying to win favor with someone rich or important. The fact that it was aimed at her was more of a reason to worry. “I’m Brice. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

The boy held out a hand but Jason Tugged her behind him. Brice scowled at them and Marinette used the distraction to study the boy. He had platinum blond hair and his face seemed to settle naturally into a smirk. His uniform was sloppy and it looked careless rather than intentional. He was tanned but she couldn’t tell if it was normal or because he spent time in tanning booths.

“Even if Bruce hadn’t specified someone I’d skip my own classes to stay with her myself before I’d let you anywhere near her.” The boy puffed up but Marinette had a feeling he wouldn’t be posturing so much if he and Jason were alone.

“Even if Mathis was asked for, she’s not here. Why would Mr. Wayne want that as an example?” His tone said he thought he’d won, until a voice sounded behind him.

“I know you all like to act like I’m invisible but I didn’t realize it had progressed to the point you actually can’t see me.” The dry tone relaxed Jason immediately but both Brice and the secretary started badly.

“Where did you come from?” Marinette couldn’t help but cringe at the woman’s tone. It was the same one her mother used when one of her classmates claimed Marinette hadn’t done something she’d promised to do.

“I checked in with you half an hour ago.” Brice finally moved enough so Marinette could see the speaker. She was midway between Marinette and Jason in height. She had short, mouse brown hair and blue gray eyes. Her uniform was meticulously put together. There were a couple things out of place, like one of her shirt cuffs was rolled up, but it was obviously intentional.

“No you didn’t. I would have remembered.” Syd and Jason both rolled their eyes. Marinette had a feeling being forgotten was a common occurrence.

“Whatever you say. Regardless, I’m here now so your services aren’t needed Sardis.” The boy looked like he was going to argue until Syd invaded his personal space. After that he couldn’t get away fast enough.

“Mathis.” For all Jason seemed to prefer Syd, he didn’t sound very friendly. Marinette couldn’t get a good read on the energy between the two and that worried her.

“Todd.” There was a definite strain between them but she could only guess at the cause. This was bad. She didn’t know the terrain here, didn’t know the combatants. She was completely unprepared for this. Jason stepped aside leaving Marinette out in the open.

“This is Sydney Mathis. Syd, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng.” The girl gave Marinette an encouraging smile.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Marinette offered a tentative smile but didn’t speak. She didn’t realize she had Jason’s hand in a death-grip until he gave hers a light squeeze in response.

“Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be fine alright? Syd’ll take care of you and if you need anything, or it just gets too overwhelming you have all our numbers.” Marinette could only nod in response as her gaze went to the floor. She would keep herself together. She wouldn’t be a burden.


	32. A New Friend

Jason gave her hand one last squeeze before he let go and was out the door, leaving her alone with Syd. When Marinette managed to look up she was surprised to see genuine warmth on the other girl’s face. Not pity or disgust which was usually what she got from peers, though there was a bit of concern.

“So am I doing full coverage or do you want me to let people approach you?” Marinette could only frown at her in confusion. She felt like she missed part of the conversation. Syd cocked her head to the side before rolling her eyes, but Marinette had a feeling the gesture was aimed at herself. “Sorry, I’m not used to talking to people, sometimes my thoughts don’t make it out of my mouth in a way that makes sense. As far as classmates are concerned, do you want me to back everyone off, let the ones I think you’ll be comfortable with approach you, or let you be a social butterfly?”

Marinette knew she flinched at the word ‘classmates’ but she couldn’t help it. She wasn’t sure what to do with Syd’s offer either. In truth she wanted to keep to herself but would that be acceptable? Mr. Wayne had just told her to keep her grades up, he hadn’t said anything about socializing. Syd was just staring at her but finally nodded to herself.

“Just teachers it is.” She leaned down to grab her bag, which was a rather large duffel, before opening the door and holding it for Marinette to go through. It took a moment for the gesture to process and Marinette felt an embarrassed flush heat her cheeks as she walked through the door. “Do you want to go to your locker first or should we just head to class?” Marinette clutched her bag tightly in front of her body at the question. She knew Syd noticed but she just waited for an answer.

“Can I keep my things with me?” She didn’t like the idea of being separated from her belongings. To many memories of people stealing or destroying her possessions made her wary of letting anything out of her sight.

“Of course.” She tapped her own bag and grinned. “I won’t leaving anything where I can’t reach it. Granted since you’re being hosted by Bruce Wayne I very much doubt anyone would have the nerve to mess with you or your stuff but I get wanting to keep it on you.” She gestured down a hallway and started walking once Marinette came up beside her.

Marinette noticed that Syd was very careful about personal space. She stayed close enough to intercept anyone that got too near but made sure not to crowd or touch her. She could tell the girl was doing it to respect her wishes rather than trying to keep a distance because she didn’t want to be around Marinette.

“How long have you been going to school here?” The silence was getting to her and she could tell Syd wasn’t going to break it first. She seemed to be waiting for Marinette to set any boundaries or limits before she moved forward. It was an amazingly kind gesture.

“Just under a year. I should warn you that I’m not well liked so I may hinder your chances of making friends if that’s what you want.” Marinette didn’t respond right away. The bluntness of the statement caught her off guard but she had no idea if she wanted to make friends. As of right now the only people who considered her a friend she wasn’t allowed to see and the people her parents did consider her friends had done nothing but hurt and use her. “You don’t have to decide right now. It’ll take at least a week for people to assume you didn’t just get stuck with me.”

“Why don’t people like you?”She wasn’t sure what made her ask but she regretted it immediately. She cringed away as Syd scowled. As soon as she noticed Marinette’s reaction Syd offered an apologetic smile.

“Sorry, I’m annoyed at the people here, not you or the question. The short answer is that I don’t belong here.” Marinette just looked at her in confusion and she sighed. “This school is for the elite. I’m just a street kid who got lucky. It bothers them to have to see me every day when I’m so far beneath them.”

“I know some people are like that but I have a hard time believing everyone here is. Jason doesn’t seem to judge people that way. I’m not well off and he’s fine with me.” Syd offered her a bland look.

“That’s because Jason used to be a street kid, before Wayne adopted him.” Marinette frowned. There was something off in her tone.

“Is that why you two don’t get along?” Syd gave her an appraising look and Marinette backtracked. “I just mean that you two don’t seem very friendly. When we were in the office…” She wasn’t sure she should finish that thought. Syd just hummed in agreement.

“It’s complicated. I can’t give you his reasons because it’s not something we’ve ever actually talked about. As for me… I suppose it’s a bit of envy and a bit of pride.” She sounded like she was musing out loud. It was a bit strange for Marinette to talk to someone so willing to divulge personal details. “Envy because he actually got out, pride because he still acts like one of us and it annoys me.”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” She watched as Syd frowned in thought, as though trying to find words that someone else would understand.

“I don’t want to make it sound like Jason didn’t go through a lot. I’m sure he did, all of us do. We didn’t know each other well but all of us have a sort of standing arrangement. We’ll fight over stuff and turf, but when push comes to shove, food and safe places to sleep are off limits. We look out for each other when dealing with bigger threats even if we can’t stand someone. That sort of thing.” She paused to gauge Marinette’s reaction. Whatever she saw made her continue. “When Jason disappeared everyone knew. When he showed up as a Wayne, a lot of people saw it as a betrayal, which is stupid. I was happy for him. He came back a few times and most of the other kids just treated him like a leper so he stopped.”

“That must have hurt.” Those other kids were likely the closest thing he’d had to family. Syd nodded before letting out a sigh.

“I’m sure it did. I was… indisposed at the time and only heard about it later. After that I never heard of him coming near anyone. Figured he just wanted to move on and forget about the past. I know I would. When I ended up here, Jason was the badass of the school. He was riding on the reputation of being a street kid. I don’t know if it was intentional or not but it pissed me off.”

“Why?” Marinette didn’t see why it would matter. What did Jason’s reputation have to do with anything? Syd wrinkled her nose in what looked like annoyance.

“Because that’s not his life anymore.” At Marinette’s confused look she tried to rephrase. “When he leaves this building he goes home. He doesn’t have to worry about where his next meal is coming from, if he’ll even be able to eat outside of school lunches. He doesn’t have to worry about where he’s going to sleep or if someone’s going to jump him for his computer. He lives in a different world while I’m still in the same one. Worse, that world doesn’t want or accept me anymore because I’m here. He gets the benefits of both sides while I get stuck with nothing but trouble. It’s not his fault but feelings don’t tend to bow to logic.”

Marinette didn’t have a response to that, but luckily they’d reached the classroom. Syd introduced her to the teacher before leading her to a seat at the back of the room. Marinette got the chance to study the other girl as she glared at anyone who came too close. Syd was different from anyone she’d ever met, but she seemed to have a good heart.


	33. Peacemaker

By the time lunch came Marinette was ready for a break. So far Brice had been in two of her classes and while Syd had kept him at bay, it was still mentally exhausting. Syd had introduced her to her teachers and kept the other students from crowding her. Everyone was tense and at first Marinette assumed it was because of her, but it all seemed centered around Syd. The teachers all seemed to be willing to bend over backwards to help Marinette, more than one had suggested she sit with ‘better’ students. Once she stopped to process all the information she realized that the other students and the teachers really did treat Syd differently. She felt nauseous watching it. It felt exactly like what had been done to her in Paris. The only difference was that Syd didn’t seem to care.

“Jason texted me, he said he already grabbed your lunch so you don’t have to wait in line.” Syd’s words brought Marinette out of her thoughts as they entered the cafeteria. Loud. That was the only thing that really penetrated. Too many people crammed into a small space trying to talk over each other to be heard. She cringed back from the door. “Hey, it’s alright, just breathe.”

Marinette hadn’t even noticed she was slipping into another panic attack but she tried to do as she was told. She vaguely noticed Syd typing something on her phone before her concerned eyes focused back on Marinette.

“Jason’s going to bring the food out here. There’s a classroom that’s not in use down the hall where you can eat and avoid the insanity that is hormone driven teenagers.” Marinette smiled weakly at the joke before the rest of the words registered in her mind.

“You’re not planning on eating with us.” Syd hesitated and just as she was about to answer Jason came barreling into the hallway.

“What did you do?” He glared at Syd as he held his free hand out to Marinette and she took it on instinct. Syd frowned and looked away but not before Marinette caught a hurt look in her eye.

“Room 107. I’ll come get you for our next class.” She pointed down the hall before heading off in the other direction, not into the cafeteria. Jason tugged Marinette towards the empty classroom.

“Why don’t you like Syd?” The words just came out and she saw a guarded look come over Jason’s face.

“I don’t dislike Syd.” She wanted to press the issue but stopped herself. Jason could tell his father she was being difficult. Who knows what he’d do to her if that happened. He set their food on a couple of desks and she sat. He kept shooting glances at her and she quickly got too nervous to eat. “Did you ask Syd about it?”

“What?” The question caught her off guard and she looked up at him. There was something she couldn’t place in his expression. “We talked about it yes.”

“What did she say?” She almost answered on reflex but caught herself. She didn’t know how Jason would react and it really wasn’t her’s to share anyway.

“You should talk to her.” Jason just shook his head and went back to eating. As Marinette picked at her own food it suddenly hit her that Syd had walked away from the cafeteria. After what she’d said about school lunches possibly being her only food Marinette suddenly felt terrible for making her so uncomfortable that she wasn’t even going to eat. She couldn’t save all of it, but there were a couple cookies and some carrot sticks she could keep for her.

“What are you doing?” She flinched at Jason’s voice not sure how or if she should answer. He didn’t sound angry, just confused.

“I… I was going to give it to Syd.” Jason frowned at her for a moment before some sort of recognition flashed in his eyes. He didn’t say anything, just handed over the cookies from his lunch as well. They ate in silence after that. Marinette couldn’t figure out if that was a good thing.

“Look… whatever she told you, just remember that it’s only one point of view alright?” Marinette just blinked at him in confusion for a moment. “There were a lot of things that happened that I had no control over.”

“She only really told me how she felt, she really didn’t go into specifics. She doesn’t seem to blame you for anything though.” She was trying to not say too much. Syd hadn’t seemed like she was worried about other people finding out what she’d said, but Marinette still felt like she was breaking a confidence.

“I find that hard to believe. She’s been acting weird around me ever since she started here.” He was stabbing randomly at the little food left on his plate. His expression was somewhere between hurt and anger.

“You really should just talk to her. I think the two of you are letting your assumptions get in the way.” He let out a non committal noise and kept playing with his food. She wouldn’t press though. It wasn’t her place and she couldn’t afford to alienate any of the Waynes. Luckily there was a knock at the door followed by Syd poking her head in.

“You about ready? Brice and a couple of his moronic followers are going to be in our next class and I’d like to get you there and situated before they show up.”


	34. Syd's Skills

The afternoon was more or less the same as the morning had been. People tried to get close to Marinette and Syd backed them off. Brice threw insults and threats at her but Syd just rolled her eyes at him. She did learn something interesting when they were in history though. The teacher asked a question and judging from the panicked looks around the room it was something they hadn’t learned yet. He called on Syd and she didn’t even hesitate with the answer.

“Incorrect Miss. Mathis. I suggest you spend more time studying.” Marinette saw a flash of anger in Syd’s eyes.

“My answer is word for word from the textbook for this class. Page 387, paragraph 4, lines 3 thru 8. As you haven’t given us any other material on the subject I assumed that was the answer you wanted. If you like I can cite other sources but the last time I did that you yelled at me for confusing the class with outside materials.” She kept her tone even the entire time. The teacher glared at her for a moment before acting like nothing had happened.

“How did you do that?” Marinette had looked up the page in the book and it was exactly what she said. Syd just shrugged.

“Eidetic memory.” Her answer was soft, probably so she didn’t catch the teacher’s attention so soon.

Marinette kept quiet after that. Syd had already almost gotten detention for explaining things to her. Talking out of turn they’d called it. All her teachers seemed to be toeing the line between calling Syd out and catering to Marinette’s needs. It was strange and quite honestly really annoying. She wanted to help but didn’t know what to do about it. She hadn’t been able to help herself, how was she supposed to help Syd?

When the bell rang for them to go to their last class of the day Marinette pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Selina to ask what she should do. It was the first time she’d used it and immediately after she hit send she hoped she wasn’t bothering her. She should be able to figure things out for herself.

Their last class of the day was study hall. When they got there Syd left her by the door to go speak to the teacher. This one actually seemed to like Syd which she was grateful for. After a short conversation Syd came back and led Marinette to a different empty classroom.

“I told Mrs. Dever that I was going to help you get caught up and answer any questions for you so she said we could go somewhere else to not disturb the other students.” She put two desks together and began to go through each class. By the time the final bell rang Marinette had five pages of notes about the material and homework for each class. Syd also gave her all her syllabi since she didn’t need them after seeing them once. After Marinette packed her stuff back in her bag, Syd took her out front to meet up with the boys. As they got closer Jason waved them over.

“Hey Syd, you’re coming home with us.” Syd stopped immediately with a blank expression.

“No.”

“What do you mean no? It’s an honor for you to even be asked.” Syd rolled her eyes at Damian’s declaration. Marinette was torn. On one hand she knew that if Syd came back with them she’d get food and possibly somewhere to stay for the night, on the other Syd seemed really uncomfortable around money.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want, but I’d like you to come.” Marinette had laid a hand on Syd’s arm to get her attention and the girl was looking at it in confusion. She realized it was the first time she’d initiated any sort of physical contact. When Syd looked up she wore a small smile.

“I’d rather be infested with flesh eating bacteria.” Marinette coughed to cover a laugh, not sure if it was an appropriate response. Damian just glared at both of them while Jason texted someone.

“Selina said to check your messages.” Syd’s expression was blank again but Marinette noticed a facial tick she’d seen throughout the day. She was starting to think it happened when she was especially agitated. Syd let out a long breath before pulling out her phone. Marinette didn’t see any change in expression or body language as she read.

“Fine.” She was headed towards the car before any of them could react. Damian just clicked his tongue and followed. Jason offered a confused look to Marinette and she just shrugged in response before walking past him.

The ride back to the mansion was silent. Syd just stared out the window the entire time while Damian glared at her. Marinette watched as Jason opened his mouth a few times but nothing ever came out. It felt like a timebomb that could go off at any moment and she could only fiddle with the strap of her bag, waiting. She was actually relieved when they finally pulled up to the manor. That relief was short lived.


	35. Reunion

Bruce could tell the moment Marinette spotted him. She shrank in on herself and clutched her bag tightly. He also noticed Miss Mathis take a small step in front of the other girl. Apparently Selina was right about the girl going straight into protector mode. Just what he needed, one more person to keep Marinette nervous around him.

“Selina why don’t you and Jason show Miss. Mathis around while I talk to Marinette about her first day of school.” Everyone else glared at him as Marinette somehow managed to look even smaller. Her eyes were firmly on the floor but she looked like she relaxed a bit. It took him a moment to realize that while she obviously thought she was about to get yelled at, that was her normal so it calmed her down to have what she thought was a regular pattern start back up.

“Fine. We’ll likely be in the ballroom when you’re done.” Selina herded everyone else out, shooting him looks over her shoulder that promised retribution should he screw this up. Honestly he didn’t think there was a way not to screw this up at this point. Marinette didn’t trust them at all so everything in their actions was suspect. Especially since she believed she was the root cause of all these supposed problems.

“Come on, you can tell me about your day on the way up to your room so you can drop off your bag.” This was going to blow up in his face. He knew it. But he hoped that once that happened it would turn into a way to help the girl heal. They began to walk and Marinette started into reporting mode easily. He had a feeling her parents made her do this quite frequently, though it wasn’t what he’d had in mind. She went through each class period telling him what they’d learned and what the homework was.

“Syd helped me get all my homework done in study hall at the end of the day. Do you want to look it over?” She sounded almost hopeful and he couldn’t figure out why. They were almost to her room.

“I can look at it if you want me to, but I trust you if you say it’s done. What’s wrong?” As soon as she stopped talking she seemed anxious again. And now he could tell she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure if she should.

“It’s just… everyone there is so mean to Syd, for no real reason I can see. She claims it’s because they don’t think she belongs there but even the teachers act like they’re out to get her. She almost got detention because she was trying to explain something to me. It’s just a lot like how it was for me in Paris but from what I can tell she doesn’t deserve it.” Not like me. Those were the three words she didn’t say but it was obvious that’s what she thought.

“No one deserves that.” He said the words as gently as possible but she still flinched. “I’ll look into it.” They’d reached her door and Bruce said a little prayer, hoping this wouldn’t be the disaster he expected, before he opened it.

“Mari!” Marinette jerked to a stop, eyes wide and hands flying to her mouth. Bruce caught her bag as it dropped knowing that if she broke the phone or laptop she’d feel extremely guilty, and put it on the chair in the corner. The minutes ticked by and Adrien and Chloe were going from excited, to worried, to hurt. Marinette was frozen just staring at them like she couldn’t process the fact that they were standing there.

This was getting ridiculous. He tried to be patient but finally he reached out and gave the girl a little shove between the shoulder blades. It did the trick though. As soon as she had forward momentum it was like she couldn’t stop. She picked up speed rapidly and crashed into her two friends nearly taking them all to the floor as she wrapped her arms around both.

“I’ve missed you both so much.” Her voice was soft and cracked every other word but he could hear relief in it. He backed out of the room and closed the door.

———————————————————————-

Adrien shared a look with Chloe over Marinette’s head as the door closed. He could see his concern mirrored in her eyes. They’d both seen the fear in her eyes when she first saw them and he had to wonder what her parents had done to punish her for talking with them the last time.

“It’s alright Princess. We’ve got you now and we’re never leaving you alone again.” He felt Marinette stiffen and mentally cursed himself for the slip. He wanted to tell her, had already told Chloe, but this was not the time to add even more stress. She pulled back, eyes wide, and turned to face him fully.

“Chat?” The word was barely audible, Chloe probably didn’t hear it, but with his still advanced hearing he did. He just smiled at her and gave a single nod. She pulled him into a crushing hug. He always forgot how strong she was for her size. Chloe was rubbing her back in small circles and Adrien was afraid he’d broken her when she started talking. It was muffled by his shirt but he heard it.

“I can’t believe you had to stand there and watch as I handed your father over to the police.” He let out an inelegant snort.

“He deserved it. Wait what do you mean when you…” Oh Kwami. No, that would be beyond cruel. He looked at Chloe and saw a horrified expression. She’d heard it too. “Bug?” Marinette nodded against his chest and he had to fight the urge to go back and burn Paris to the ground. What happened to Marinette shouldn’t have happened to anyone and it was worse that she of all people had been the target of so much misplaced hate and anger. But knowing that she was Ladybug as well… how had she even survived?

He looked down at her and realized she wasn’t wearing earrings. Fu had taken his Miraculous immediately, he’d figured because of who his father was but he hadn’t expected him to take hers as well. Looking back though he couldn’t remember her having them since that last fight. When she came to see him in the hospital he’d actually noticed the normal studs she wore were missing but hadn’t thought on it. Stupid. He was such an idiot. His arms tightened around her as Chloe leaned in to hug her from behind. He’d make this up to her. She’d needed him and he hadn’t been there. It was inexcusable.


	36. Old Patterns

Marinette was close to tears. If she’d been a better hero, if she’d handled everything better, if Master Fu didn’t have to do her job and figure out who Hawkmoth was maybe she could have ended this before all of Paris felt the need to blame Adrien for his father’s choices. She’d failed him, failed all of Paris. When he and Chloe had time to think about what her being Ladybug really meant, they were going to abandon her too.

“Whatever you’re thinking, stop.” Chloe’s tone was both worried and amused. “We’re not leaving, you’re not a bad person, you were a great hero, and you’re not getting shipped back home.” They could always tell when she was spiraling. Chloe especially seemed to be able to guess what set her off. She let go of Adrien and he backed off enough that she could turn and hug Chloe properly.

“I’ve really missed you guys.” It wasn’t right. Those words didn’t express a quarter of what she felt but she knew they’d understand. They both knew what it was like to have almost everyone turn against them.

“We’ve missed you too bug. Chloe’s great and all but I’d like to have a conversation without being insulted once in awhile. Oof.” She didn’t see it but she assumed Chloe had knuckled Adrien in the side. “Or assaulted for that matter.”

“If you didn’t deserve it I wouldn’t do it. Honestly Mari it’ll be nice to have someone sensible to talk to again. The amount of nonsense that comes out of his mouth is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.” Marinette couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her. It was even odds as to whether an outside observer would think they were siblings or a couple.

“You’re both impossible.” Her words held nothing but laughter and Adrien almost toppled them all to the floor when he leaned into her back, crushing her between him and Chloe.

“But you love us anyway.” The words were light, but Marinette knew the pain he was hiding.

“Yeah, I do.” She felt them both relax a little at her words and Adrien started purring at her back. The fact that either of them cared so much about what she thought brought a new wave of emotion. They were interrupted by a knock at the door and Alfred poked his head in.

“I apologize for the interruption but I was wondering if you wanted to join the others, or if you’d rather I came back to retrieve you for dinner.” Marinette pulled back to find her friends sharing a look above her head. She knew they’d do whatever she wanted, but wasn’t certain what they would prefer.

“If you’re really staying in Gotham we’ll have plenty of time to catch up so you should both meet everyone. I’d like to introduce you to Syd as well and I doubt she’ll be here often.” Adrien looked a little stunned but Chloe looked insulted.

“Of course we’re staying. Adrien said as much didn’t he? Now let’s go so I can make sure these people are going to treat you right. If not we’re kidnapping you and there’s nothing you can do about it.” Adrien rolled his eyes at her.

“This from the girl who freaked out when I told her I’d threatened Bruce Wayne.”

“You did what?!” They both cringed at her volume and Adrien wore a sheepish expression.

“I just wanted to make sure he gave you a fair chance is all.” If he’d been transformed his ears would be drooping and he’d be fiddling with his tail. As it was he ducked his head and was playing with his shirt cuffs. How had she not noticed the similarities?

“In his defense, Master Bruce did deserve it at the time and I assure you he holds neither you nor Master Adrien in any less esteem for it. “ Alfred’s voice brought her back to the situation at hand, but she was still worried about how Mr. Wayne would treat Adrien. But he’d let them in the house so that had to be a good sign, right? She looked between her friends before letting out a long breath.

“I suppose we should go find the others then, assuming the two of you can behave yourselves.” Chloe had the gall to look affronted and Adrien defaulted to a pretend hurt look with a hand over his chest.

“Meouch M’lady. You know I’m housebroken.” Marinette couldn’t help but groan. She had honestly hoped that the puns and other bad jokes were Plagg’s doing. Judging from the eyeroll Chloe gave him this was a normal occurrence. Marinette raised an eyebrow at Chloe.

“What?” She changed her expression to one she’d used on Chloe as Ladybug to great effect. “Oh fine, I’ll behave if they do but I promise nothing if they insult or demean you.” Well, that was probably the best she’d get.

“Okay then.” She took a few deep breaths and straightened her shoulders before walking towards the door. Adrien and Chloe flanked her almost unconsciously and she saw amusement in Alfred’s eyes. Adrien was on her right so that his good eye was able to scan the room, while Chloe was on the left, a step behind, so that both she and Marinette were protecting his blind side. This had become a habit ever since he was attacked.

“Miss. Kyle, Miss. Sydney, and Master Jason are in the ballroom. If you’ll all follow me.”


	37. The Down Sides of Friendship

As they neared the ballroom, Marinette started to hear music, and not the kind she’d expect in such a place. It sounded mostly electronic except for a stringed instrument, most likely a violin but she didn’t know enough about music to say for certain. Whatever it was it certainly wasn’t classical or ballroom dance music. Alfred caught the obvious confusion on her face.

“Miss. Sydney is a street performer, it’s how she gets by.” Marinette just nodded, but she could practically feel the questions threatening to burst out of her friends. They waited though. Most likely they figured that whatever wasn’t answered when they met everyone, they could just ask her later.

When they entered the ballroom they found Selina, Jason, and Syd all dancing and jumping around while Syd played. She’d been right, it was a violin, and Syd was incredibly talented. Marinette felt Adrien nudge Chloe behind her.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Adrien was using that annoying little kid voice.

“I highly doubt that.” Chloe slapped his hand away.

“You’re thinking that the look of abject horror on your mother’s face when you tell her you’re dating a street musician is going to be a huge bonus to getting laid.” Marinette practically choked on air as Chloe let out an insulted noise.

“Oh screw you Agrest!”

“I’m pretty sure I’m not the one you want to screw.” Marinette could feel her cheeks getting red just listening to this. She looked behind them and was relieved to find Alfred gone. She didn’t even want to begin to explain this to someone.

“Keep it up you mangy stray. Just remember that I saw you drooling over Drake when we got here even if he didn’t.” Adrien let out an indignant squeak and Marinette turned to see a blush on his cheeks as well. She couldn’t help the smile that came over her face. Adrien the bi disaster strikes again, that was going to be entertaining. If Chloe actually did like Syd this was going to get interesting quick. Plus it would give them a reason to stay in Gotham.

When the song ended all three of them clapped. Adrien even let out a shrill whistle. The reactions from the other three were vastly different. Selina Stiffened up before crossing her arms and frowning at them. Marinette hoped she wasn’t really angry. Jason actual tripped and fell before springing up and acting like nothing happened, but she could see how red his face was even from across the room. Syd on the other hand turned to face them before making an elaborate, self-mocking bow.

“Thank you all! If you enjoyed that you can catch me daily in the afternoons in front of the botanical gardens, at least until security gets wind of it and chases me off.” Adrien laughed but Marinette had a feeling she was at least partly serious. Judging from the way Chloe studied her, she thought so as well. Chloe sauntered forward and Marinette had to fight back a groan.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Any chances of a private concert?” Well, she was definitely interested. Chloe had gotten into Syd’s personal space and laid a hand on her bicep. Syd just looked back and forth from the hand to Chloe’s face a few times. Marinette could almost feel the girls confusion.

“For the right price anything’s possible.” Marinette heard Adrien let out a strangled noise as he tried not to laugh. Jason had no such filter and immediately doubled over in laughter. Syd just frowned at him. “What is wrong with you?” That just set him off further and he ended up on the ground curled into a ball. Marinette leaned closer to Adrien.

“And I thought you were oblivious.” He gave her an affronted look and she just shrugged at him. Syd was still looking between everyone trying to figure out what was going on. Selina looked exasperated but didn’t say anything. Chloe cleared her throat to bring Syd’s attention back to her. She pulled out one of her business cards and wrote something on the back before handing it to Syd.

“Why don’t you call me and we’ll discuss it?” Syd read the back of the card, her eyes went wide for a moment before jumping back to Chloe. There was a pink tinge spreading across her face before she dropped her eyes to the card again.

“Sure.” The poor girl looked like she was about to swallow her tongue. Selina decided it was time to intervene.

“You must be Chloe and Adrien, it’s great to meet you. I’m Selina Kyle, Bruce’s fiance.” Syd made the card disappear in an instant as Chloe turned to greet Selina.

“It’s wonderful to meet you as well.” She’d instinctively taken a protective stance in front of Marinette and Marinette thought she saw approval in Selina’s eyes. That was odd. Adrien stepped up beside Chloe

“Thank you so much for allowing us in your home. I hope you’re taking good care of Mari.” There was and threat in his tone and Marinette saw Jason react to it by stepping up beside Selina.

“I told you two to behave!” Marinette whisper shouted the words as she grabbed their arms. The last thing she wanted was them getting kicked out. Selina just smiled and reached out to ruffle Adrien’s hair.

“I’m glad to know Marinette has some good friends, though not nearly as many as she deserves.” Marinette felt her cheeks heating at the indirect praise even as guilt gnawed at her. She didn’t deserve the people she had, let alone anyone else.


	38. Syd's Other Gig

Bruce walked into the ballroom to see everyone at the other end talking while it looked like Syd was packing her things away. They were all smiling and laughing and he was amazed at the change in Marinette in such a short time. Granted she still wouldn’t call him anything besides Mr. Wayne and still cringed anytime he spoke to her, but this showed that she could recover from what she’d been through at least. He was broken out of his thoughts when Adrien let out a high pitched squeal.

The reactions around the room varied. Syd and Jason were instantly back to back ready to fight. Selina was scanning the room and her confused gaze met his. Chloe and Marinette were both glaring at Adrien as he kept making rather spastic gestures towards Syd.

“What exactly is your problem? I swear I’m going to be hearing that sound for days.” Chloe’s censure fell on deaf ears as the boy just kept bouncing excitedly in place. Marinette rolled her eyes and let out a sigh.

“Use your words Chaton.” The boy finally took a deep breath.

“She’s Syd Synth!” He sounded extremely excited, though Bruce had no idea why. He saw matching looks of confusion on Selina and Jason, but Syd looked panicked. Chloe and Marinette were both studying the other girl.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Syd was a terrible liar. Possibly the worst he’d come across in at least a decade.

“Yes you do! That Beethoven comment was word for word what you said on your podcast last week! I thought you were great before but knowing you’re a musician and write your own stuff too… You’re like my favorite person ever! I love you!” Marinette just dropped her head into her hands but Chloe bristled in annoyance or anger, Bruce wasn’t entirely sure which.

“Back off Agreste, I have dibs.” Poor Syd just had that deer in the headlights look. She scanned the room for exits almost unconsciously.

“She’s not a candybar Chloe she can make up her own mind.” Adrien didn’t seem to be serious, at least he hoped not, but Chloe looked even more pissed.

“Enough you two! You do remember what happened the last time you fought over a girl?” Marinette’s words caused a feral grin to come over Chloe’s face while Adrien cupped himself and backed away from her to hide behind Marinette.

“Fair point, but admit it Princess, you were a little flattered.” Marinette’s head jerked towards him in surprise.

“I wasn’t talking about me! Hang on, when did you guys fight over me?” Adrien leaned forward to whisper in her ear. Marinette’s expression and head fell so she was staring at the floor.

“That doesn’t count. You were fighting over her, not me.” Adrien looked like he was about to argue but Chloe shook her head at him violently and he wilted a bit. Jason cleared his throat.

“What’s this about a podcast?” Chloe and Adrien perked up but Syd… she had her bag in hand and was about ten steps closer to the doors to the garden than the last time he noticed. She was also shooting a glare at Jason that promised a slow and painful death.

“Nothing.” She spoke through gritted teeth but no one really paid attention anyway.

“It’s only the best music podcast ever!” Adrien was in full on fangirl mode. “She critiques current music and trends, and talks about music history, and theory and-” He let out a squeak as Chloe pinched his side.

“Can I just say that segment you did trashing XY and his program that supposedly made atonal music that people loved was one of the most satisfying rants I’ve ever heard or delivered.” One corner of Syd’s mouth tugged up into a smile.

“That man should be forced to listen to his own garbage for a month straight. Assuming he doesn’t have an aneurysm, I think it would make him a much better judge of what doesn’t sound good.” Adrien made a happy noise in his throat. Bruce was starting to worry about the boy’s sanity.

“See? I knew it was you. This is so great. Can I get an autograph?” Marinette and Chloe had each grabbed one of his arms and effectively pinned him between them so he couldn’t crowd Syd. Marinette kept shooting apologetic glances at her while Chloe… he wasn’t sure what to call that look honestly. Selina was just grinning in amusement and blocking Syd’s exit. Bruce decided it was time to announce himself.

“Alfred said dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes.” Selina was the only one who didn’t jump. Chloe, Adrien, and Syd all ended up between him and Marinette who was trying to make herself as small as possible behind them. He couldn’t help the eye roll and sigh that escaped him. He needed to find something that would make the girl less afraid of him. Selina walked past the other to place a kiss on his cheek and whisper in his ear.

“Just give it some time. You can’t undo years of damage in a few days.” He knew she was right. He just needed to be patient. It just really wasn’t his strong suit.


	39. Battle of Low Self Esteem

They were almost to the dining room when Syd tugged on Marinette’s sleeve as she stopped walking. Adrien and Chloe looked back but she waved them on, not sure if Syd wanted privacy or not. Syd waited until all the others were in the dining room before speaking.

“Your friend… she’s not just slumming it to annoy her parents is she?” Even though it was phrased as a question Marinette thought she sounded like she was fairly certain of the answer.

“Chloe wouldn’t use people like that. If she wants to rebel she’d wear clothes from a discount brand or go online and bash her mother’s fashion sense.” Marinette had expected the other girl to be relieved but Syd just seemed confused.

“Then… why did she give me her number?” Marinette blinked at her, not sure how to respond.

“To get to know you better?” She really hadn’t meant to make that a question.

“Why?” Syd’s confusion was just getting stronger and Marinette started to have an idea why.

“Why wouldn’t she want to get to know you better?” Syd just looked at her like she’d lost her mind.

“You’re kidding right? I’m pretty sure her purse is worth more than everything I own. I’m certain her wardrobe is more than what someone could get selling my body parts on the black market. It’s not like I’m great to look at or anything, so why would someone like that bother with me?” Marinette’s first instinct was to protest, but she stopped herself. Syd did have a valid point. Most wealthy people didn’t just randomly decide to hang out with or date street kids. As for looks… well she didn’t think anyone would call her pretty. Cute or handsome maybe but not in a way that would make people notice her.

“You’re an interesting person, you’re talented, and you have a good heart. Anyone would be lucky to know you and Chloe doesn’t have many people in her life like that.” Syd cocked her head at her.

“She has you and I’m pretty sure you’ve got me beat in all those categories.” Marinette wanted to argue, she knew that wasn’t true, but she didn’t think it would help.

“There isn’t a rule anywhere that says you can only be friends with people if you don’t know someone ‘better’ than them. Not that I am but I doubt you’ll agree with me on that point. She wants to get to know you, it’s just that simple. She also left it up to you so the choice is ultimately yours. I realize I don’t know you very well but I think you’ll do well together.” Syd was just frowning at the floor. “We should probably join the others.”

When they walked into the dinning room, Bruce was introducing Chloe and Adrien to the rest of the boys. Syd stuck to Selina and when they sat to eat ended up between her and Jason. Marinette was between Chloe and Adrien since neither one really trusted the Waynes. The meal was a bit tense, though she wasn’t completely sure why. Syd didn’t talk unless asked a direct question, and even then used as few words as possible. Adrien spent most of it in a stare down with Damian and she had no idea why. Chloe was the only one who seemed to be in her element.

After dinner they went into the living room and most of the Waynes dispersed to other parts of the house, though Jason stayed. Selina came into the room a few minutes later, scanning it with a frown.

“Where’s Syd?” Her tone was off but Marinette couldn’t really place how.

“She went to the bathroom.” Jason answered offhandedly and Selina turned a glare on him.

“And she just happened to take all of her stuff with her?” It did seem strange, but at the same time Marinette hadn’t once seen Syd let her bag out of her sight so it hadn’t occurred to her to question it. Jason scoffed.

“Of course she did. Syd is the most paranoid person I’ve ever met, and that includes this family.” Selina just mumbled something Marinette didn’t catch before stalking out of the room. When she reentered a few minutes later she was fuming.

“She left. I swear that girl is trying to get herself killed.” Selina was texting rapidly on her phone and Marinette had a feeling Syd was getting an eyeful. Jason just waived off her concern.

“Syd knows the streets of Gotham better than any of us. I’m sure she’s fine. Besides, don’t the rogues have a no target rule for her? Between Harley, Ivy, Catwoman, and the Penguin there’s very few people that would dare risk going after her.” Selina looked like she wanted to strangle him. Marinette was trying to process what he said.

“Syd is friends with villains?” She couldn’t risk people thinking she was siding with the wrong side again. What if Mr. Wayne found out? Did he even know about Syd? If he did why would he want her to be the one to keep an eye on her? Why…

“Mari, just listen to my voice okay? I need you to breathe with me can you do that?” Chloe’s concerned face was suddenly in her field of vision and she felt Adrien’s hand making soothing circles on her back. They shouldn’t have to pull her out of panic attacks so often that they had a system for it. She was so pathetic, why did they even put up with her? “Mari, stop thinking and just breathe.” It was a command and Marinette responded to it immediately. Once she was calm enough to take in her surroundings she noticed the concerned looks on everyone’s faces, including Mr. Wayne.

“What happened?” Selina was the one who answered him.

“Your son’s an idiot.” Jason let out an insulted ‘Hey!’ but Mr. Wayne just rolled his eyes.

“I’m well aware of that but it still doesn’t tell me what happened.” Marinette heard and giggle and slapped a hand over her mouth when she realized it came from her, but Mr. Wayne just offered and encouraging smile.

“Jason mentioned Syd’s connection to some of the Rogues. Without any context.” Marinette watched him carefully but didn’t see the reaction she expected to, instead he knelt down in front of her.

“You think that people will think you’re working with some of the Rogues if you’re friends with Syd?” She gave a hesitant nod, not sure how she was supposed to react. “Don’t be. Anyone who believes that isn’t worth your time. There are very few people in Gotham without skeletons in their closet, me included.” She had no idea how to respond to that.


	40. The Responsible One

Once they were certain that Marinette wasn’t going to slip into another panic attack Mr. Wayne, Selina, and Jason left her alone with her friends. The three of them were squeezed together on the loveseat with Marinette in the middle. For some people it would feel claustrophobic but this was the safest Marinette had felt in at least six months.

“I think we should do a blanket fort in your room and watch movies all night.” Adrien’s comment brought a small giggle from Marinette but Chloe huffed in annoyance.

“Only if you don’t get to pick the movies and we get to do spa treatments at the same time.” The two began to argue back and forth and Marinette just sighed happily between them. She’d missed this type of normal interaction so much. Her calm lasted until she realized that they were both under the assumption that they would be staying to do this tonight.

“You guys aren’t sleeping here tonight, you know that right?” They both jerked their heads down to look at her in surprise.

“Of course we’re staying!” Chloe sounded offended that she thought otherwise.

“Don’t you want us to stay?” Adrien just sounded hurt.

“Guys it’s a school night.” They both just looked at her. “Unlike you two I actually do go to school. The one thing Mr. Wayne asked me to do was keep my grades up and I’m not going to risk being late or falling asleep in class because my best friends kept me up all night.” They both wore almost identical pouts and Marinette just rolled her eyes. “I’ll ask Mr. Wayne if you can stay on Friday okay? I’m not going to do anything without his approval.”

Marinette shuddered as she remembered the last time she had let someone in the house without her parents express permission. She still wasn’t certain why they had been so mad since the woman was there to see them, but they had grounded her for three weeks after. She wasn’t about to make the same mistakes with Mr. Wayne as she had her parents. At least with them she’d had some frame of reference, even if it had been useless towards the end, but here she didn’t know any of the rules.

“Fine, but we’re picking you up from school and hanging out everyday in between.” Marinette had to remind herself that she really did love her friends, even if they had no concept of what it meant to actually listen to your parents.

“Chloe, I’m going to have homework for starters so I can’t just run around Gotham with you two. Also given it’s reputation it’s probably best that you two don’t run around here either. You get into more than enough trouble without adding the dangers of this city.” Adrien tried to interrupt but she just glared at him. “I’ll talk to Mr. Wayne about when it’s appropriate for you two to come over or when I’ve earned the privilege of going out with you.”

“You were right, we should have just kidnapped her.” Chloe’s stage whisper caused Marinette to let out a defeated sigh. She was going to have to fight them constantly on this. Selina chose that moment to walk back in and Marinette was grateful for the reprieve. She could only resist them so long before they wore her down and she gave in. Even when she knew there would be consequences.

“It’s getting late, do you two have a hotel?” Marinette hadn’t even thought about that. They wouldn’t have come to Gotham without a place to stay, right? Adrien saw her panicked expression and cut off whatever Chloe was about to say.

“Yes we do. My bodyguard will be here soon to pick us up.” Marinette perked up a bit at that.

“Oh thank goodness Gustave’s with you. Maybe he’ll be able to keep you alive. It’s far too much to hope for that he can keep you from being reckless.” Both of her friends glared at her.

“Rude.” Chloe huffed at her.

“But accurate.” Adrien grinned as Chloe reached out to smack him and only caught air. They immediately got into a slap fight with Marinette still in between them trying and failing to stop them.

“This is exactly why you two should never be left unsupervised.” Marinette finally managed to separate them and heard Selina laughing from across the room. Acrien and Chloe both had the decency to look embarrassed though not nearly as much as they should. Mr. Wayne chose that moment to walk in but he just raised an eyebrow at the scene before shrugging.

“There’s a car outside for you two. What hotel are you staying at?” He sounded concerned but Marinette didn’t know why.

“The Klass Resort and Spa. It was the only place I could find that would meet my standards.” Marinette couldn’t help but shake her head fondly at Chloe’s words. Some things never would change.

“It’s a very reputable establishment and it’s far away from crime alley so you’ve certainly made a good choice. Do you have any plans while you’re here?” Adrien and Chloe both just pointed a her and Marinette felt her face grow hot. She saw a hint of a smile on Mr. Wayne’s face.

“Of course. I’ll send you a list of places that are safe, at least by Gotham’s standards, for you to look at. You’re of course welcome here when Marinette is out of school but for my piece of mind I’d like myself, Selina, Alfred, or Dick to tag along if the three of you go out somewhere. Marinette’s already had one unfortunate run in and we’ll all feel better knowing she’s safe.” Marinette felt tears come to her eyes at his words. It was both gratitude and shame. Mr. Wayne was being so accommodating to her friends she wanted to hug him, but the reminder of her first night made her feel so guilty for worrying everyone.

“It’ll be good to have a local to show us the sites.” Adrien’s cheerful voice broke into her thoughts. Even after everything, he was still the most positive out of all of them. “I suppose we should head out. We’ll see you tomorrow Mari. Why don’t we come by around five so you have a chance to do any homework without Chloe distracting you. Hey!” Chloe had reached over and pinched his side. Marinette shot a look at Mr. Wayne to try and gauge his reaction to the idea. He gave her a small nod.

“Sounds good.” She hesitated as they stood before gathering herself to address her guardian again. “Mr. Wayne? Would it be alright… could I say hello to Gustave before they leave?” At his confused look Adrien took over.

“My bodyguard. He and Mari have been pretty close ever since my stay in the hospital.” Mr. Wayne’s expression softened.

“Of course you can, and you can call me Bruce if you want.” She blinked at him, not sure if it was a good idea. So far no one here seemed to be trying to trap or trick her but caution was her best survival tool.

“Thank you Mr. Wayne.”


	41. It Takes a Village

Bruce sighed as Marinette led her friends out of the room. He knew that it would take her time to warm up to him, but the fact that he was the only one she was so formal with was frustrating. The fact that it was at least partly his own fault did not help his mood at all. He and Selina followed them at a distance to the front door and he watched as Marinette greeted the huge man with a hug. He couldn’t hear them, she deserved her privacy, but watching her be so animated with an adult was bittersweet. It was good to see that she could be so warm and open with adults in the right circumstances, but it just reiterated that she had no faith or trust in him.

“She just needs time Bruce.” Of course Selina would guess his thoughts. “Right now you’re the gatekeeper. She’s still feeling all of us out but you’re the one that has the power to decide her future. It doesn’t help that she’s apparently used to the adults in charge of her abusing her and calling it ‘character building’.” He knew she was right but it took him a minute for her wording to register.

“You said adults not parents.” The question was implied though he wasn’t really certain he wanted the answer. He already wanted to go to Paris and have a sitdown with the people who had so little faith in their own child, the last thing he needed was more targets. Selina gave a discontented hum.

“From what Chloe and Adrien have said in the chat, her teachers and school administrators were extremely detrimental. Since her classmates’ parents were getting all their information from their kids they weren’t great to her either, though she didn’t have as much contact with them.” So apparently he was looking at the only adult in Marinette’s life besides Jagged and Penny that she was at all comfortable with. Great… wait a minute.

“What chat?” Selina pulled out her phone and opened an app before handing it to him. It looked like something Tim programmed. Basically it had a normal chat function but it also had tabs for triggers, calming techniques, certain words or phrases anyone had noticed were a problem or seemed to help her, body language to look for to see if she was getting uncomfortable, and multiple others. It looked like all his children, Selina, Jagged, Penny, Chloe, Adrien, and Syd were all on it. “Is there a reason I didn’t know about this?”

“Did you check your personal email in the last couple days?” He blinked at her before pulling out his own phone. Sure enough, once he got into it, there was a link to download the app.

“Why would he send it there when he knows I don’t look at it?” He’d only gotten that email because he was sick of his kids sending things to his business email. Specifically Dick’s memes and Tim’s random tangents when he was running on caffeine and momentum.

“He probably sent it to the list he has everyone on and forgot to add your other one. He did a really good job on the app though. He plugged in the GPS from her phone as well so that we can find her in emergencies. You can also ping other people in the chat with an SOS if you need someone specific to either get to her location or give you advice on how to handle a situation.” Bruce had a feeling Alfred was instrumental in the extra features, especially since he knew Tim had gotten no more than five hours of sleep in the last week.

Marinette started walking back to the house as he put his phone away and he could see her getting smaller with every step. The girl who had spared verbally with her friends and laughed at their antics was gone. By the time they got inside she was a nervous shell of herself. It was disturbing to say the least. He had an idea that could go very wrong, very right or anywhere in between.

“Marinette.” She jumped when he said her name and he saw panic in her eyes. He wasn’t certain he wanted to know what was going through her mind. “I have a favor to ask, you can say no if you want to.”

“Okay.” Her voice was hesitant and she was staring at a spot in the middle of his chest rather than looking at his face. He was starting to think that this wasn’t a good time, especially with Selina glaring at him, but he’d come this far.

“I have a shirt that I was planning to wear to a meeting tomorrow but when I pulled it out one of the buttons was ready to come off and the hem is starting to come loose in a few places. I was wondering if you could take a look at it for me and see if you might be able to fix it?” That finally got her to look at him. He could see warring emotions on her face and he wasn’t certain what any of it meant. Given her tendency to overthink everything he doubted it was a good thing though.

“Of course.” Her voice was higher pitched than normal but while she was obviously a bit panicked she looked mostly resigned. It was like she’d been expecting something like this to happen, but he wasn’t sure exactly what she thought ‘this’ was.

“I won’t be upset if you don’t want to, or if you can’t fix it. If you can, I’ll be happy to pay you for your work.” She looked at him like he’d grown another head.

“Why would you pay me? I’m already a burden on you so anything I can do to earn my keep is no more than my fair share.” Bruce fought to control his expression but it was difficult. How often had she been told that it was her duty to be everyone’s slave for her to be so confused at an offer of fair compensation? He leaned down so he was closer to her level, forcing her to look him in the eye.

“You are not a burden.” He had a feeling he’d be repeating those words a lot. “Your job is to be a child and to go to school and learn, that’s it. No one is going to require you to do anything else. They may ask for your help with things but you are always allowed to say no. If I ask you to do a form of skilled labor, like fixing a shirt, I will compensate you for it just the same as I would a tailor to do the same job. Your time is valuable and while you may give it to others as you see fit, you will never be forced to do so.” He could practically see her brain bluescreen.


	42. Syd's Scars

Bruce’s request started a trend. She fixed his shirt and tried to refuse payment but he just called Penny and paid it into her trust. Suddenly everyone in the house was asking her to mend things. Dick asked her to make his lucky socks wearable again. Jason needed a backpack strap reattached. Tim had a slice in a pair of pants that looked like it came from a very sharp blade and no one would tell her how it happened. Damian asked her to fix a utility belt. She didn’t even bother to ask what that was for. Despite her protests, money kept getting added to her trust.

School was much the same, except the teachers were now just blatantly ignoring Syd instead of trying to get her in trouble. A few other scholarship students had come up to Syd because they were being treated differently as well. Mr. Wayne must have followed through with his promise to check into the behavior. She wasn’t sure the current trend was better, but she was grateful he went to the effort, especially on nothing more than her say.

Syd refused invites to the manor saying that she needed to go out and earn money to eat. She ignored all the arguments saying that if she ate at the manor she wouldn’t need to buy her own food. Selina was still extremely annoyed that she’d left on Monday instead of staying overnight at the manor and Marinette thought Syd was avoiding her as much as anything else.

Thursday it rained all day and showed no sign of stopping as school ended. Jason was waiting for them as they left their last class and practically carried Syd to the car. The way she was cursing caused quite a few people to turn and look but once they saw Jason they turned away. Marinette hadn’t decided if she should help before they got to the car but by then Syd had stopped struggling.

“Stop being an idiot. You can’t perform in any of your normal spots anyway so you may as well eat a decent meal for once.” She just glared at him again and Jason sighed. “And you can use the ballroom again.”

“Fine.”

“Chloe and Adrien will be there as well.” Syd seemed to relax a bit at Marinette’s assurance. She knew Syd had been texting Chloe but neither had really said much. Chloe was much happier than Marinette had seen her in awhile though. She didn’t know Syd well enough to read her, especially when she was so inexpressive. Jason didn’t seem to be having any better luck if his puzzled expression was any indication.

When they got to the manor, Syd disappeared to the ballroom immediately while Marinette went to her room to do her homework. She texted Adrien and Chloe so they could come sooner and possibly hang out with Syd since she seemed so uncomfortable around the Waynes. She was glad she did because her homework took far longer than usual and she didn’t get downstairs until just before dinner.

When she walked into the dining room she knew something was wrong. Syd looked dazed, kind of like she had a concussion, while Chloe seemed to be trying to get her attention. Adrien was across the room with Dick and Tim, so she walked over to the other girls.

“What happened?” Chloe shot her a concerned look but Jason spoke up from the corner.

“She just got the opportunity of a lifetime and she’s freaking out over nothing.” Chloe glared at him and Marinette was mildly surprised there was no blood. She tried to get Chloe’s attention back and ended up tapping her arm.

“What happened?” She asked again because Jason’s answer didn’t really tell her what was going on.

“Jagged and Penny are here and he heard Syd playing.” Oh, well that explained a lot. Given the way Jagged overreacted to things he liked, and she had no doubt he was impressed with Syd, it would be really overwhelming to someone not used to him.

“Are you okay?” Syd hadn’t moved or said a word. Marinette stepped right in front of her and the girl blinked down at her in confusion. Before Syd could formulate a response Jason came up and draped an arm around her shoulders.

“A rock star just offered to adopt her of course she’s okay. She’s just being dramatic.” The change in Syd was so fast and dramatic Marinette actually took a step back right before she exploded.

“Just because you were willing to sell out for three hots and a cot doesn’t mean we all are.” She yelled the words as she shoved Jason off her, breathing heavily. Marinette realized the anger was hiding the beginning of a panic attack and wondered what triggered it. The hurt look on Jason’s face seemed to pull Syd back to reality. “I didn’t… I’m not…” Syd grabbed her bag and ran. It was so unexpected that no one reacted at first. Jason took off after her once the shock wore off. He came back a few minutes later, out of breath and dripping wet.

“She’s a lot faster than she looks.” Chloe pulled out her phone as soon as the words left his mouth and Marinette had a feeling she was texting Syd more out of panic than expecting the other girl to respond.

“What’s going on? Wait, where’s Syd?” Selina sounded both annoyed and exasperated. The rest of them shared looks not quite sure how to answer her. What had just happened.

“Jagged heard her play and said he was going to go talk to Bruce about adoption or emancipation options for her so he could take her on tour and she flipped.” Jason sounded annoyed and wasn’t watching Selina as he wrung out his shirt, but Marinette saw the concern on the woman’s face.

“He actually suggested adopting her?” At his absent nod she let out a curse that had everyone staring at her in shock. She pulled out her phone and put it to her ear, impatiently waiting for someone to pick up. When they did, she didn’t bother to offer a greeting. “You two need to find Syd. Now.” She paused to listen and seemed less than happy with the response. “I don’t care what you’re in the middle of. Someone said they were thinking of adopting her.” She paused. “Yeah, ‘Oh’. You need to find her before she goes underground or she may not surface again until she’s eighteen. Keep me updated.”

“What’s the big deal?” Selina glared at Jason and the boy actually stepped back before catching himself.

“Do you know how Syd met Harley and Ivy?” Her tone was hard but it was obvious she was trying not to lose her temper. Jason just shook his head. “Not long after Bruce took you in, she was adopted. She ran away after six months and she was in bad shape when they found her hiding in a warehouse. She was completely mute for a year after that and she still won’t talk about what happened.”


	43. Jason's Guilt

Everything was chaos after that. Selina grabbed her keys and was gone before anyone really registered what was going on. Chloe practically dragged Adrien out of the manor and Marinette ended up texting Gustave to make sure they didn’t go searching Gotham for Syd. They didn’t know the city at all and were far more likely to go missing themselves than find anything useful.

Jagged felt terrible. There was no way he could have known but Marinette had a feeling that he thought he should be more perceptive after having to deal with her issues for years. He and Penny stayed for dinner but left directly after. The Wayne’s all seemed to disappear as well so Marinette felt it best to go back to her room. She sent one text to Syd, just to say she was there if the other girl needed to talk. Marinette had a feeling that between Selina and Chloe, Syd didn’t need one more person pushing her to come back.

She paused walking past the living room because Jason was in there by himself looking worried and guilty. He jumped when he saw her and masked his expression. Before she could decide what to do, his anger took over.

“I didn’t know! How could I have known?” Normally being yelled at would have her running away in tears but she knew he was mad at himself, not her. Before she could second guess the impulse she walked up to him and pulled him into a hug. He stiffened up but didn’t pull away, so she counted it as a win.

“It’s not your fault, and you could tell Syd felt bad about yelling at you as soon as she did it.” She felt him slump and knew that while the guilt was still there, he’d think about her words. She wasn’t exactly sure what the insult Syd had hurled at him meant but she could tell he’d taken it to heart.

“I should have been there for her more at school. I knew how she and the others were treated and ignored it. If I hadn’t maybe…” Marinette wondered if that was how Adrien felt when he realized telling her to ignore Lila lying to their friends wasn’t the same as ignoring rumors spread by the paparazzi to strangers.

“You can’t change what you’ve done, but you can do better in the future. You’re mistakes only define you if you refuse to learn from them.” She heard an amused snort above her.

“You should write fortune cookies.” She dug a knuckle into his side in retaliation before she remembered that he wasn’t Adrien or Chloe. She absolutely shouldn’t be that familiar with him. She pulled back quickly and felt her cheeks grow hot.

“Sorry. I should head up to my room.” He looked confused but she ran out of the room before he could say anything. She spent the rest of the night worried about Syd and wondering if she’d overstepped herself with Jason. It didn’t occur to her to wonder why she’d felt so comfortable with Jason, just that she had to keep herself in check in the future.

————————————–

Jason could only blink as Marinette ran away from him. This was not his night, but at least she was staying in the manor. Alfred walked in and Jason could tell he’d seen Marinette’s hasty retreat.

“Is everything alright Master Jason?” There was censure in his tone and Jason had to push his anger down. Not everything was his fault. At least Marinette didn’t blame him… at least he didn’t think so.

“Girls are weird.” Alfred coughed to cover a laugh and Jason glared at him. “Is Bruce still planning on going out? I don’t think us looking for Syd is a good idea. The only ones she’ll be less likely to show herself for is the police or CPS.”

“He and Master Dick will be going out for a regular patrol so as not to hamper Miss Kyle’s search. Everyone else will be on standby in case there is a problem.” Jason just nodded. He was glad not to be going out in the rain, even if he was the most likely to find Syd of the bats. Honestly, he didn’t think she’d surface until she wanted to so the chance of anyone finding her were slim to none.

“I suppose I’ll turn in early then. If Syd decides to contact someone it definitely won’t be me.” Yeah, he’d stepped in it but the real reason she wouldn’t contact him was because he’d willingly let Bruce adopt him. He was certain she’d fought that first adoption whether she knew the situation or not. Some street kids would rather starve than get placed and he could understand why. He didn’t know how Syd ended up on the streets but it had to have been bad given some of the stunts she’d pulled to stay out of CPS’s hands.

“Master Tim is pulling the file on Miss Sydney’s adoption. Do you want him to send it to you?” Alfred’s words brought a scoff. Given that she’d run away that file wasn’t likely to have anything useful.

“He’d have better luck looking at the criminal history of the person that adopted her. CPS isn’t going to have much beyond the paperwork on the adoption itself and possibly a police report assuming that asshole even reported her missing.” He wouldn’t bet on that. If they’d been abusing her they wouldn’t have wanted the police to find her on the off chance they’d believe her.

“I’ll be sure to let him know. Can you think of anywhere specific she may have gone?” Jason just shook his head. Even if they’d been close she wouldn’t have told anyone where she’d go. He wasn’t kidding when he’d called her paranoid.

“I don’t think she’ll go anywhere someone has seen her. We’re going to have to wait for her to surface on her own.” Alfred gave a thoughtful hum before leaving the room. Jason went to bed that night wondering what other mistakes he’d made.


	44. The Next Day

The next morning there was no news. Selina hadn’t come back at all and most of the Waynes looked like Marinette and Tim usually did in the mornings. As she was eating Marinette checked her phone but the only message she had was from Chloe asking if they’d found Syd. There was a knot in her stomach and she felt ashamed when she realized it was only partly because Syd was missing. She wouldn’t have a buffer at school and that made her nervous. She was a terrible person for thinking such a thing right now. The ride to school was uneventful but the closer they got the worse her anxiety and guilt got.

“I’ll walk you to your classroom and if you need anything just text me and I’ll come running.” Jason’s words caused her to choke up so she just nodded. He shouldn’t be worried about her right now. She waited for him to leave before she entered the classroom. It was early enough she should be the first one here.

“Syd! What happened?” The girl was sitting at her desk in the back and looked like she’d been attacked. She had two black eyes, a split lip, and she was bleeding through a cloth she had pressed to her forearm.

“Nothing important, I’m fine.” Marinette could only stare at her for a moment, then her mom friend instincts kicked in and she stormed up to the desk.

“This is not fine. We’re going to the nurse. Now.” Syd just raised an eyebrow at her.

“No.” The stare down between them only lasted a few seconds as Marinette’s uncertainty returned. Maybe the nurse didn’t like Syd either and that’s why she didn’t want to go. But she couldn’t just do nothing.

“Syd please. If you don’t like the nurse her fine. Let me take you to a hospital, or I can call Selina. Or I’m sure Chloe could find a doctor to come to the hotel-” She cut off her rambling when Syd leaned forward and covered one of Marinette’s hands with her own.

“I swear I’m fine. The wounds are superficial other than my arm and that didn’t hit an artery or anything major. If I needed medical attention I would seek it myself from someone I trust, but I don’t. I promise.” Marinette wanted to push but Syd was so earnest and certain. Finally she just sighed.

“Can I at least let everyone know you’re alive? They’ve all been worried.” Syd actually snorted.

“I doubt that, but you can tell them. If they insist, I’ll talk to them after school.” Marinette sent out a mass text and started getting replies immediately. She couldn’t help but smile at one in particular.

“Chloe says the answer your damn messages or she’ll come down here and make you.” She thought it was funny but Syd winced.

“My phone broke. No one really contacts me so I didn’t even think about it.” That response brought another flurry of texts in response.

“Selina says she’ll bring you a new one after school. She also wants a picture of you.” Syd just rolled her eyes and held out a hand for Marinette’s phone. She gave it up gladly because the last thing she wanted was to be the go between in this conversation. Syd was typing and reading furiously until a few minutes before the bell rang. When she gave the phone back Marinette scrolled through the conversation and was glad to see that Syd had signed all her messages. Given some of the language used she didn’t want to be held responsible for them.

The teachers were surprisingly docile that day. One glare from Syd during attendance and they all seemed to think it was best to leave her alone. Marinette thought they were wise. She mostly let her be as well, but when lunch came and it was obvious Syd’s arm was still bleeding, Marinette forced her into one of the less traveled bathrooms so she could clean and bandage it with the first aid kit she always had on her. The gash was jagged and ran about two thirds the length of her forearm. She used some butterfly stitches to help seal the wider gaps before wrapping it in gauze and bandages.

“Thank you.” The words were soft and Syd refused to meet her eyes. Marinette had a feeling she didn’t get treated so kindly most of the time.

“Anytime.” Marinette went to the cafeteria alone, as usual, but Jason seemed to take it as a personal insult that Syd didn’t join them. Even though she hadn’t all week. Marinette was fairly certain Syd was just being her normal self, but she probably didn’t want Jason to see her and report her condition back to Selina either. When the last bell rang Syd shot out the door, not even waiting for Marinette. That couldn’t be good.

When she got to the front of the building Selina, Mr. Wayne, Chloe, and Adrien were all there looking at her expectantly. Syd was nowhere to be found. Selina took one look at her expression and pulled her phone out. Marinette wasn’t sure who she was texting but a moment later she started off around the edge of the school grounds with the rest of them in tow.

“Hey! I told you I’m fine. Will you two stop?” Syd’s annoyed voice reached them as they rounded some bushes and they were met with the sight of Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy fussing over the girl like mother hens.


	45. Sleeping Arrangements

“What the hell happened to you?!” Selina’s outraged yelled caused nearly everyone to jump and Marinette took shelter behind Adrien and Chloe. Syd just rolled her eyes as the woman stalked towards her.

“It’s nothing. I just had a run in with some guys trying to round up street kids.” Marinette wasn’t sure how she felt about the fact that none of the Gothamites seemed to think that was unusual. It was actually Harley that responded.

“Traffickers?” The rogue growled the word and Marinette could hear the disgust in her tone. She’d gone into panic mood as soon as she saw them at the airport and hadn’t really had time to take in their appearance or body language. Seeing the two of them with Selina was causing a sense of deja vu but she wasn’t certain why. When Harley spotted her peeking at them from behind her friends she offered a smile and a small wave. Marinette could only offer a tentative smile back.

“I don’t think so. Maybe a new cult considering the rhetoric they were spouting. Whoever they are they’re well funded. They had body armor, tranq guns, and industrial grade cattle prods.” Syd’s expression morphed into a demonic smile. “They really weren’t expecting me to get up after that much voltage but given the number of times I’ve been electrocuted that was child’s play.” The rogues shared a look with Selina and suddenly it clicked in Marinette’s brain. She didn’t know why she didn’t realize it earlier but would blame the stress. Selina was Catwoman.

“What do you mean as many times as you’ve been electrocuted?” Selina’s voice was low and dangerous. Syd actually froze and Marinette could see her trying to come up with an answer. Mr. Wayne actually came to her rescue.

“What kind of rhetoric were they spreading?” The grateful look Syd shot him was countered by the glares from all three women. Marinette was highly impressed that he didn’t even flinch.

“They were mostly talking about the dangers of Meta’s, but really they sounded like they were against any differences that made people ‘better’ than someone else. Some nonsense about everyone having to be equal to achieve true peace and harmony. Load of garbage, but there’s plenty of people who like the idea of bringing others down to their level.” Her obvious disdain seemed to surprise him.

“You don’t think more equality would be a good thing?” Marinette wasn’t sure how but Syd’s look told everyone how idiotic she thought that question was. She managed to school her expression somewhat, but she still looked extremely annoyed.

“Equality of opportunity would be optimal but it will never happen. People however, are meant to be unique. Having different strengths and weaknesses, different ideas and talents are what create progress. If everyone were the same it would only promote entropy. Not to mention their version of equality is likely to turn into mass murder in order to get rid of anyone who is ‘other’.” Bruce nodded at her thoughtfully and Marinette let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Mr. Wayne could cause major problems for Syd if he decided she was a problem. She didn’t think he would but she couldn’t be certain.

“We’ll have to look into this as well, especially finding out where their money is coming from.” He turned to talk to Jason and Selina was still talking with Harley and Ivy. Marinette was still a bit confused at the fact no one was calling the police or vigilantes but then again if Catwoman worked with Batman sometimes, maybe they just left the rogues alone if they weren’t causing trouble?

“Syd wait!” Chloe’s voice brought everyone’s attention back to the girl who had almost managed to sneak away. The girl’s expression was resigned and slightly annoyed. Rather than trying to bring her back to the group, Chloe walked briskly over to her. Marinette unconsciously shifted further behind Adrien as she watched Chloe talk to Syd in a hushed voice and slip something into her pocket. Syd looked surprised, but finally nodded acceptance to whatever plan Chloe was hatching before she took off. None of the adults had time to react before Syd was gone. Chloe looked rather pleased with herself as she walked back towards them. The rogues looked confused but Adrien just eyed Chloe suspiciously.

“What was that about?” Adrien’s confusion brought a smug grin to Chloe’s face.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Marinette couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She would never figure out how they got along so well when they constantly baited each other.

“You gave her something.” The question was implied and Chloe shot her a searching look. She obviously hadn’t expected to be caught. Eventually she shrugged and answered in an offhand voice.

“It was my room key.” She really wished she hadn’t asked. Seeing the expression on Adrien’s face she prepared herself to keep Chloe from killing him.

“Oh really? Moving a bit fast aren’t we?” His grin was swiftly removed as Chloe smacked him upside the head.

“Get your mind out of the gutter alley cat. She needs a safe place to stay and I’ve got a couch. Besides, we’re spending the weekend with Mari so I won’t even be there.” Marinette could only sigh as the two began to bicker.

“You were planning on spending the weekend at the manor?” Mr. Wayne’s voice caused Marinette to look over at his confused expression and a feeling of horror swept over her. Her hands shot up to her mouth as a panicked sound escaped.

“I forgot to ask. I’m so sorry. If it’s a problem they don’t have to stay. I meant to ask.” Even she could tell she was babbling, but she couldn’t stop. Seeing the looks of concern of everyone’s faces only made it worse.

“Marinette.” Her mouth snapped shut and her head dropped when Mr. Wayne started to speak. “It’s not like you tried to sneak them into your room. It’s fine for them to stay the weekend, we’ll just have to find rooms for them.”

“That’s not necessary, we’ll just stay with Mari. What’s the point of a sleepover if we’re in different rooms?” Chloe’s tone was bordering on insolent and Marinette shot her a concerned look.

“I’m not sure I’m comfortable with girls and boys in the same room at your age.” Marinette dropped her head into her hands at Mr. Wayne’s words. She knew exactly what was coming next.

“Sir, I’ll have you know I’m a perfect gentleman.” Adrien’s voice was all fake offense. “It’s her you have to watch out for.” Marinette didn’t need to see him to know he was pointing at Chloe and her outraged gasp proceeded a pained yelp from Adrien. They then devolved into a pinching war that only stopped when Adrien hid behind Marinette. “Mari she’s being mean to me!” Adrien’s nasal whine caused Marinette to shake her head and let out an aggravated breath.

“I assure you Mr. Wayne, there’s nothing for you to worry about since they are both just overgrown toddlers.” Her tone was dry and she saw his lips quirk up in a smile. There was an outraged ‘Hey!’ from both of her friends but she just ignored it. It was going to be a very long weekend.


	46. Unexpected Arrival

Marinette woke up midmorning on Saturday and had to focus before she could really get a grip on her surroundings. Why was she in a tent? Oh wait… not a tent, a blanket fort. The warmth surrounding her were the bodies of her best friends. Chloe on one side, snoring softly though she’d stab you for pointing that out, Adrien on the other purring like his life depended on it. Both were still asleep and Marinette took the opportunity to try and understand the drastic shift her life had taken.

None of it made sense and even thinking about everything that had happened since she’d arrived in Gotham made her head spin. It was too much so she needed to start smaller. She felt Adrien shift beside her and couldn’t help an amused smile when he basically flopped over onto her and Chloe, still purring and now stretching out over them like the cat he was. Chloe in turn shifted, smacking him in the face in the process. Neither one actually woke up. Just over a week ago this would have been nothing but a wish. Her parents would never have allowed her to talk to them let alone spend time with them.

Last night they’d watched movies and eaten an insane amount of junk food Adrien snuck in. Chloe had brought all her makeover supplies and Marinette had to stifle a giggle when she noticed the barrettes still in Adrien’s hair. He’d let Chloe do it just to make Marinette laugh. She was so lucky to have them in her life. So lucky that Mr. Wayne let them come into his home at all. That thought brought a new wave of confusion.

Why had he let them come here? Why had he taken guardianship of her? Why was he willing to give her a chance when everyone else only saw a problem? Why? She just couldn’t wrap her head around it. People she’d know her whole life saw only the worst in her but Mr. Wayne and Selina both seemed willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Was it because Selina was Catwoman? Did Mr. Wayne just like trying to save people from themselves? There were so many questions and so few answers.

“Mari I can feel you overthinking. It’s too early for this bullshit.” Chloe’s sleep roughened voice penetrated her spiral and Marinette immediately felt guilty.

“Sorry Chlo.” The words were soft and she tried to force her body to relax so she wouldn’t bother Chloe anymore. She would have gotten up but with the way Adrien was sprawled out on top of them, she really couldn’t move without waking him too.

“Don’t apologize to me. Just stop staying in your own head so much. Get it out where we can help you deal with it. We’re a team bug, and we want to help you.” Despite the harshness of the words, Chloe’s tone was kind and caring. Adrien let out a ‘hear, hear.’ before devolving back into purring interspersed with snores. Mari couldn’t help it when she started giggling. Every time she tried to get it under control it just got worse. Eventually Chloe joined her while Adrien grumbled in annoyance on top of them.

“Will you two stop? Sleep.” His mumbled complaint just set them off again and he was forced to roll off and curl into a ball next to Chloe so he could go back to sleep. The two girls finally managed to control themselves, but both were wide awake now.

“So do you want to talk about whatever was freaking you out so much this morning?” Chloe’s tone was brisk but Marinette knew she wasn’t trying to force the issue. She was grateful for that because she wasn’t sure how much she could or should tell either of them.

“I just… so much has changed and I… it’s just a lot.” Chloe didn’t ask for more she just wrapped Marinette in a hug, tucking the smaller girl under her chin.

“I know. But it’s a good change and the second it’s not Adrien and I will take you far away. We’ll take you somewhere no one will be able to hurt you again.” Marinette felt tears in her eyes from the sincerity of those words. She really didn’t deserve them.

“What about Syd?” She couldn’t help the tease. Besides, they needed to lighten the mood. Chloe was right, it was too early for this shit.

“She can come too. Seems to need it as bad as you do.” She couldn’t argue with that. Before she could come up with a response her stomach rumbled. Loudly. Adrien peeked at her from his spot next to Chloe.

“Looks like the monsters awake. None of us are going to be able to sleep now.” Chloe just snorted in amusement at his words as Marinette blushed.

“Well maybe if someone had agreed to have real food in here last night instead of just trash, Mari wouldn’t be so famished.” Adrien looked offended and glared at Chloe.

“It was movie night. You don’t have real food on movie night.” The words were said without a hint of mockery and Marinette could only sigh.

“Whatever. Let’s get the beast fed before she decides to knaw an arm off.”

—————————————

After breakfast they ended up in the living room with Selina, Mr. Wayne and all the boys. Selina could tell something was off with Mari, but wasn’t sure what. Every time the girl looked at her there was… something. It was just on the edge of thought and wouldn’t form properly. She tried to push it away for the moment. Marinette actually seemed to be relaxing around them a bit and she didn’t want to ruin that.

“Um… Bruce? What does that look like to you?” Dick was pointing out the window and they all turned to look. Wait… was that? Marinette gasped and her hands went to her mouth in shock. Adrien and Chloe were just staring at the blur zooming about the yard in confusion.

“That… “ Bruce hesitated and shook his head. “That looks like Wonder Woman flying, chasing something really small around the garden.” And that was exactly what it was. There was a smaller blur out in front of the hero that Selina hadn’t seen at first, but they were both getting closer to the house.

“Is that…?” Chloe was staring intently at the little blur, apparently trying to make it out but Marinette was tracking it with tears in her eyes. What the hell? Then Adrien let out a hushed whisper.

“Plagg.” She didn’t know what it meant but as soon as the word left his mouth the small blur turned and raced straight towards them. It was insanely fast… and it wasn’t slowing down for the window. Whatever it was it was going to… The blur went through the window without breaking it and zoomed straight to Adrien, colliding with the boys face.

“Kid! You’ve got to help me that crazy woman won’t leave me alone!” Selina had no idea what to make of the little black creature that seemed to be attached to the boys nose. Marinette hadn’t moved at all and Chloe was staring at it with a look of… longing?

“Oh god she’s going to go through the window!” Dick jumped up at Tim’s shout and hastily tried to get the window open before Wonder Woman crashed through it. He managed it, barely.

“Get back here Plagg! Who dared let you out of the box?” Wonder Woman was frowning at the creature who flew behind Adrien’s ear before sticking his tongue out at her.

“None of your business. It’s a Miraculous matter so it’s nothing to do with you.” Selina looked at Bruce and saw nothing but confusion on his face. At least it wasn’t just her.

“You are the last Kwami that should be allowed to roam free, unsupervised. That makes it my business.” Her glare didn’t phase the little creature at all.

“Are you going to let her talk to me like that?” The question was addressed to Adrien who just raised an eyebrow at it.

“I mean… she’s not wrong. You do have a tendency to create chaos.” The creature gasped in mock indignation.

“Oh the horror! Betrayed by my own kit. Pigtails would have defended me.” Adrien just rolled his eyes.

“Then why don’t you use her as a shield instead of me?” He pointed behind him to Marinette and the creature let out something that sounded like a cross between a yowl and a cheer. For her part, Wonder Woman now looked just as confused as the rest of them.

“Pigtails! Thank goodness you’re here to protect me. This kid would hand me over to save his own skin.” Adrien let out an exasperated sigh as the creature landed on Marinette’s head purring loudly. Marinette still hadn’t moved, but now tears were falling from her eyes. Slowly she reached up hand a to shakily cup the creature on her head.

“Plagg.” Her voice was soft and strained. “Why are you here?” She honestly sounded like she didn’t want the answer.

“Tikki told me to find the kid and then make him help me find you. Lucky for me you were together. Saved a whole lot of time.” It sounded smug and burrowed deeper into her hair.

“Why… Is Tikki mad at me?” The question was almost inaudible, but the hurt behind the words was heartbreaking. The creature shot off her head to float in front of her face looking horrified.

“No! Of course not. Tikki has never been mad at you. None of us have. Mad at the way you were treated by the people around you of course. Pissed beyond belief at Fu for letting everything get so bad definitely. But you were never at fault and always sacrificed everything to do what was right. Tikki is so proud of you kit, I promise.”

Marinette’s lips quivered into a small smile before she burst into tears.


	47. Tikki's Plan

Bruce watched as Marinette was enveloped by her friends' arms. The little black creature flew up under her chin and was again purring loudly. Any hope he’d had that Marinette hadn’t been one of Paris’ heroes had effectively been crushed. He didn’t know much about the magic used there but having some sort of flying fuzzball invade his house with Wonder Woman of all people hot on it’s heels was enough to convince him. He didn’t miss the fact that the creature had flown to Adrien first either. He had a feeling he was looking at the entire Miraculous Team in his living room.

Wonder Woman was staring at the scene with confusion and annoyance fighting for dominance on her face. He was fairly certain she didn’t know what had happened in Paris either even though she seemed familiar with the magic itself. It made him feel better about only finding out about it now.

“I don’t know what is going on here but Plagg cannot be allowed to wander unbound. He creates enough problems with a proper holder.” The black creature hissed at her from under Marinette’s chin and the girl cupped her hands over him protectively.

“I’ll say it again. This is a Miraculous matter and none of your business Miss ‘if I can’t have the Ladybug Miraculous I don’t want any of them.’” Bruce watched as Diana let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“I was seven Plagg. I wanted to be just like my mother. I can’t can’t believe you’re still harping about it.” The little black ball sniggered.

“You still were never trained by the Guardians nor were you ever a holder. Not to mention a lot has changed since the Amazons were a part of the Order and you haven’t bothered to keep up with the developments. Tikki is handling things and that’s all you need to know.” That caused the three friends to share looks he couldn’t interpret and Diana’s frown deepened.

“What do you mean Tikki’s handling it? What are the Guardian’s doing?” She sounded affronted but Bruce was still lost. Some sort of realization dawned on Marinette and she gently removed Plagg from their spot at her neck until they were in her hands directly in front of her face.

“Plagg, you said Master Fu’s name in front of people you shouldn’t have been able to.” Adrien and Chloe shared a look of worry over her head. Plagg just grinned in a way that made Damian look like an Angel.

“I did didn’t I? I guess that means Tikki’s coup is going well.” At Marinette’s horrified look the creature just snorted. “He’s had plenty of chances bug. The last straw was running instead of helping you. Protecting the Miraculous is all well and good but in the end the entire point of the Order is to create and maintain balance. We completely unbalanced your life and rather than fixing it he let his fears define his actions. He’s learning the hard way that you do not piss off the Kwami of Creation. I may destroy things but Tikki is far more dangerous than I could ever hope to be.” They sounded proud and puffed out their chest appropriately. Diana let out a scoff.

“You’re kidding right? Tikki is the embodiment of positivity and light. I’d be more scared of Wayzz to be honest.” Plagg let out a growl and flew at her, stopping about six inches from her nose.

“Do not underestimate the powers of Creation. That is one of the many reasons you weren’t a suitable holder for Tikki. You forget that Creation and Destruction feed off each other. Destruction may cause decay and entropy but in order to unleash my true power I need Tikki. It was Creation that invented the atom bomb and mustard gas. It’s Creation that fuels the evolution of all living things including viruses and bacteria. It’s only after those things are in existence that Destruction can truly thrive. Tikki’s wrath is not to be scoffed at Amazon.”

Diana looked taken aback. Bruce knew she wasn’t used to being lectured anymore and it showed. The fact that it was coming from a tiny creature that looked more like a stuffed animal than anything else probably didn’t help. Granted she was at least familiar with them but given the way she’d dismissed this Tikki he wasn’t sure that made it better.

“Plagg what did you mean by a coup?” Marinette’s voice broke the tense silence and Plagg shot one more quelling glance at Diana before going back and landing on Adrien’s shoulder, facing Marinette.

“Fu has proven himself unfit to continue as the Guardian. It would be different if the Order was still in existence and there were others to balance out his deficiencies but as things stand the Miraculous need a Guardian that is, above all, willing to listen to us. Fu has ignored too many of our warnings out of fear and pride. We are eternal beings, many of us have been around for millennia. It’s absurd that he felt himself entitled to treat us like children.” Plagg just looked indignant but Marinette nodded thoughtfully and Bruce could see her mind working.

“I take it Tikki has a replacement in mind?” Her words were hesitant but Plagg just nodded and grinned. “And she sent you to find me?” The creature let out a cackling laugh.

“See, that’s why I like you. You can put the pieces together and come up with an answer. This one,” They pinched Adrien’s cheek affectionately and the boy pulled back with an insulted look. “Is more dense than a box of rocks and needs hand holding to get even the simplest clue.” Chloe burst out laughing while Adrien glared at her.

“Oh come on Agreste, you know Plagg’s right. Mari had the biggest crush on you and I can’t even count the number of times someone pointed it out and all you could say was ‘she’s just a friend’.” Marinette turned bright red and Adrien just looked confused.

“Wait, when did you have a crush on me?” Plagg and Chloe dissolved into laughter, Bruce wasn’t even sure if they were able to breath properly. Marinette just buried her face in her hands with a whine. Adrien couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to glare at the laughing duo or try and comfort Marinette.

“What do you mean when the Order existed? What happened?” Plagg just rolled his eyes at Diana’s question.

“And that right there is why this is none of your business. The order fell two centuries ago and none of you noticed.” Diana looked horrified for a moment before her face settled into a look of determination.

“Then the Miraculous need to be protected and the Amazons are the best equipped to do so.” There was a tone of finality in her words, almost like she just expected the creature to capitulate to her will. Plagg just shot her a flat look.

“No. You’ve all retreated from the world but that is not our purpose. We need to be a part of it to help ensure balance. Fu refusing to activate any of the Miraculous when needed has already created imbalance in the world. Taking us out of it entirely will only heighten the effect. We need a Guardian that is part of the world and willing to do what is necessary to create and maintain the balance.”

“And you think this child can do that?” There was a clear insult in that question and even knowing it was directed at Plagg and not Marinette, Bruce felt his hackles rise. When he saw Marinette shrink in on herself he couldn’t just sit there.

“All due respect Wonder Woman but this is between my daughter and the Kwami. I appreciate your concern but I will not have you question her capabilities in my house.” Marinette blinked up at him in stunned amazement and he saw her mouth the word ‘daughter’ as if testing it. Plagg was giving him an appraising look. Diana rounded on him in shock.

“When did you get another child? Not to mention you hate Meta’s and magic.” He could feel all the eyes in the room on him and sighed in annoyance.

“I don’t hate Meta’s or magic, I simply prefer not to have to have one more thing to worry about in my life. That being said that is between me and my daughter and still none of your concern. If you can’t be civil I’ll have to ask you to leave. I won’t have you upsetting Marinette.” Diana had the decency to look abashed and she turned back to Marinette.

“My apologies Marinette. I was not trying to insult you, it just seems a heavy burden to place on a child. Especially when there are other options available.” Plagg just rolled his eyes again but Marinette motioned him to stay quiet and he did. Diana seemed impressed by that.

“I can understand your position. At the same time, I haven’t had the luxury of being a child in a long time. I was chosen to wield the Ladybug Miraculous and it’s a responsibility I took very seriously. I… “ She took a shuddering breath before continuing. “I lost everything, I gave up everything, in order to fulfill my duties and I’ll do it again if I have to. This is far more important than any one person.” Diana’s eyes held respect and surprise but Plagg just beamed.

“And she won’t be alone.” Adrien’s voice was firm. It was the tone he’d used during that first phone call when he’d threatened Bruce. “Even if it’s not necessary for the Miraculous to be active we’ll be by her side no matter what.” Chloe gave a single nod on Marinette’s other side. They were a unit and it showed. Bruce was already trying to figure out where to put them when they inevitably moved in and when to tell them his family’s secret. There was no doubt that Marinette having creatures that could go through walls would out them eventually, and he thought it would help her to know she wasn’t alone. Not to mention he had a feeling she’d start feeling guilty for putting them in danger and he needed to nip that in the bud before she did something rash like run off with Adrien and Chloe.

Before Diana could respond a portal opened up in the middle of the room. Everyone seemed startled, except Plagg. The only thought that Bruce could manage after everything else that had happened this morning was, ‘what now?’. When the portal closed there were at least a dozen more of the Kwami hovering in the air. Most were holding a box but a red one was looking wildly about the room until she spotted Marinette.

“Mari!” All of them flew towards the girl, dropping the box in her lap before cuddling up to her anywhere they could find. The red one was hugging her cheek and Marinette had a hand cupped over them while the other patted the others in turn, eventually coming to rest on a purple one that seemed to be trying to burrow into her. Plagg was back on Adrien’s shoulder and a yellow one detached from Marinette to fly over to Chloe with a cry of ‘My Queen!’. He could practically feel the chaos this was going to bring to his home.


	48. Gambling and Choices

“You owe me fifty bucks!” Jason’s triumphant shout startled the Kwami and Selina could only watch as they tried to hide in Marinette’s hair and clothes. All except Plagg and the red one who were hovering in front of the girl protectively. Dick sighed before pulling out his wallet and grumbling in annoyance.

“What are you betting on now?” Bruce’s exasperation was clear but none of the boys paid attention to it. 

“I bet him that Marinette was one of Paris’ heroes. I still can’t believe he took it after she actually pinned him.” Jason gave out a derisive snort and Dick continued his grumbling.

“How did you know?” Marinette looked worried and the Kwami were eyeing Jason, some with concern and some with interest. Jason just waved offhandedly as he pocketed the money.

“Easy. Disappearing all the time, never being seen during attacks, bad lies and excuses to get away from everyone. We have to do that shit all the time to go change so it’s not like it was hard to figure out.” Bruce looked like he wanted to murder the boy and Jason seemed to realize what he’d said too late. “Uhh…”

Adrien and Chloe were just looking at everyone else with confused expressions. Damian’s glare almost matched Bruce’s and it was kind of cute if she was being honest. Diana just rolled her eyes at the entire situation. As for Marinette, Selina could see the wheels turning in her head as she frowned at Jason. Next she looked at Selina and the looks the girl had been shooting her suddenly made a lot more sense. Marinette had figured out she was Catwoman, Selina was sure of it. Then she saw the girls eyes dart between her and Bruce a few times, her frown only getting deeper before she let out a panicked squeak.

“You’re Batman.” Bruce’s head snapped around and Selina saw more money change hands between the boys. She was starting to think they might want to look into counselling for gambling addiction but that was neither here nor there and the moment. Bruce let out a sigh before offering a nod to Marinette. Chloe and Adrien were staring at each other again and she was starting to wonder if there was a telepathic bond between the two. Marinette just looked lost. Plagg flew up into Bruce’s face.

“You called Tikki’s bug your daughter, why?” Bruce blinked at the creature with a frown before answering.

“Because I’m her legal guardian.” The rest of the Kwami were trying to comfort Marinette but Plagg just returned Bruce’s frown.

“No, that’s not it. Legalities mean nothing in the long run. The way you said it was final, that’s different.” The red one flew up beside Plagg and studied Bruce, giving a hum of approval.

“You see Marinette how she is. Not how others tell you to and not how she sees herself. That is good.” They zipped over directly in front of Selina and she automatically backed away from the red blob. “But you saw it first. I like you. I’m Tikki, Kwami of Creation and Marinette is my Chosen.” The last word had a touch of power behind it and Selina heard Diana suck in a breath.

“It’s nice to meet you Tikki. I’m Selina.” She wasn’t entirely certain how to address the creature, but luckily Marinette chose that moment to shed her paralysis.

“Oh Kwami, you were there that first night. I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused.” Bruce just frowned at her as though trying to solve a puzzle but Selina just rolled her eyes. That would be the first thing she’d focus on. “How could you even think of letting me in your house once you read my file? Or were you afraid I’d cause too many problems if you weren’t the one watching me? Did–”

“Marinette.” The girl’s mouth snapped shut and she looked guilty. Why, Selina had no idea. “I’ll answer any questions you have but I think we should focus on the current situation first.” Bruce’s words were soft and for once his tone didn’t seem to bother the girl. She just frowned at the box in her lap for a moment. She opened her mouth to speak but Tikki flew back over to the girl

“Marinette, being the Guardian doesn’t mean you have to be alone. Fu made that choice for himself but remember that before that there was the Order. Yes some secrecy is needed but isolating yourself and us isn’t necessary or even optimal. You deserve to be happy and you need support.” Selina could see Marinette trying to process the words. She obviously put far more faith in Tikki’s words than anyone else’s.

“We can give her the support she needs and train her so she can properly fulfill her duties.” Diana’s words caused identical eye rolls from Bruce and Plagg but Tikki just blinked at her like she hadn’t even realized Diana was there.

“We will train Marinette and I can’t allow the Miraculous to be removed from the world.” Plagg had a smug look on their face as Tikki echoed their earlier words. Diana looked like she was about to argue. “Either way it’s a Miraculous matter and that’s between us and the Guardian. I appreciate your concern.” It was an obvious dismissal and while she didn’t look happy Diana just sighed and remained silent. For all she’d scoffed at the creature’s anger earlier she didn’t seem willing to challenge Tikki the way she had Plagg.

“So you think I should stay here?” Marinette sounded more like she was thinking out loud than asking a question but Tikki just offered an encouraging smile.

“I think you’ve got the best instincts of any holder I’ve ever had. They’ve been buried in self doubt and self sacrifice but they’re there. You’re happier here than you were in Paris and these people can understand at least some of what you’re going through. But you also don’t have to be stuck in this decision forever. You can adapt and change your mind if needed.” Selina watched Marinette mull over the Kwami’s words and was struck by how calm she seemed. The real question was why?

Marinette had just had a huge responsibility dumped on her from what Selina could tell but this was the most at ease the girl had been since arriving. She was certain part of it was Tikki’s presence and reassurance but as she watched Marinette sooth the Kwami that were still clinging to her, Selina was beginning to think that having someone to look after was forcing the girl out of her head. Come to think of it, the only time she’d really spoken up for something to Bruce it was about Syd’s school situation.


	49. Sorting Thing Out

Marinette tried to think through the situation logically and couldn’t. Everything Master Fu had taught her about the responsibilities of being the Guardian was being thrown out the window. Wonder Woman knew who she was. Batman and his entire family knew who she was. There was no keeping this a secret even if she wanted to. But could she really stay here? She needed to think and talk it over with someone.

“Wayzz, I need a shield. One that blocks sight and sound as well.” The Kwami gave a slight bow and the shield started closing around Marinette, her friends, and the Kwami. She heard an indignant noise from Wonder Woman and a startled yelp from one of the boys before it fully formed. She stared at the box on her lap, fingers tracing the patterns over and over again. The Kwami were still cuddled up against her and for the first time since she lost Tikki she felt wanted, needed even. It was nice.

“Tell us what you’re thinking bug. Maybe talking in through will help even if you don’t want our input.” Adrien’s voice was soothing and both he and Chloe were rubbing circles on her back to help her stay calm. She really didn’t deserve them.

“I just… Master Fu was always so adamant about things and now… I’m not sure what I should and shouldn’t do. And can I really stay here? It’s dangerous for them and us. I have to protect the Miracle Box no matter what and Gotham is not a safe place. Can you imagine what would happened if the joker got a hold of any of them?” She shuddered at the thought and could feel Adrien and Chloe looking at each other above her head. She’d often envied their ability to communicate that way, especially give how hard it was for her to find the right words sometimes.

“This may not be a safe city, but you’re in the home of a multi billionaire business man who also happens to double as a vigilante. I’d say this is a pretty safe place to be.” Chloe had a point. Mr. Wayne could afford top of the line security and she’d have someone she could rely on if there was a problem for once, besides Adrien and Chloe. But…

“He doesn’t like magic, he said so himself. What if he starts to resent me for it? What if having them here causes something terrible to happen? He’s already done so much for me I don’t just want to be even more of a burden. And what about you two? You shouldn’t have to give up your lives to babysit me. I’m the Guardian this is my problem, not yours.” They both looked at her like she was an idiot, but Adrien spoke first.

“First of all it’s not babysitting, it’s supporting our friend. Second I wouldn’t be alive at all if you hadn’t pulled me out of that mob back in Paris, so I definitely owe you. Besides, it’s not like I have a life outside of you, Chloe, and Gustave anyway at this point. Not to mention it’ll be nice to talk to Plagg again, even though all he does is whine about cheese.” The little god gave an annoyed huff.

“Plus it’ll give him time to work up the nerve to ask Tim out.” Chloe’s tease brought a groan from Plagg.

“If this is going to be another Ladybug pining incident you can put me back in the box right now. I do not deserve to go through that nonsense again.” Adrien’s cheeks were red as he glared at both of them.

“I don’t even know if he’s into guys. All he talks about is coffee, computers, and research. Not to mention he’s a CEO at sixteen. Excuse me for being cautious.” The pout on his face brought a giggle out of Marinette. It was so nice to have them all back together.

“Marinette, there’s a lot of things Fu didn’t tell you and even more that he didn’t know because he wouldn’t listen to us. We can help you protect the Miraculous. For starters the box is just decorative. The temple used boxes as part of their traditions but they are in no way necessary. Second, we can help you change the Miraculous into any form you want so they’re less conspicuous or easier to hide. There are so many things we can do as precautions. You can even bind a Miraculous to a person so it’s impossible to take it by force.” Tikki’s words caused sharp inhales of surprise from her friends and Marinette just blinked in confusion.

“Why wouldn’t Master Fu have done that with us if it were possible? It would have taken at least one fear out of the equation.” Tikki’s face wrinkled in an annoyed grimace but it was Wayzz who answered.

“The Master held his teachings at the temple above everything else. That particular practice was not allowed because it meant that only the person who created the binding could take back the Miraculous and they wanted anyone in the Order to have that power should someone get out of hand. No matter how often we reminded him that he was all that was left of the Order he refused to step outside their rules.” Marinette bit her lip as she thought about this new information. She was leaning more towards staying but…

“I’ll need to talk to Mr. Wayne about this before I make a decision.” She was dreading that conversation.

—————————————–

As the shield closed around the three, Bruce hoped he would have a chance to talk to Marinette before she bolted. He could see things going either way, but he thought she’d at least stay to thank him for his hospitality. It sounded like something she would do. Diana was frowning at the shield while Tim had actually walked up to study it.

“Did you know that the Miraculous were being used in Paris?” His question cause Diana to turn her attention to him in surprise. That was a no.

“If I had, I would have been there so no. Why didn’t you say anything?” He rolled his eyes at her accusatory tone. He wasn’t sure what it was about these creatures that seemed to make her so edgy but it was wearing on his nerves quickly.

“We only found out about it when Marinette came to stay with us last week. I was going to ask you about it actually but since everything was already sorted out it didn’t seem urgent.” She was frowning at the shield again and he sighed. “Diana, Marinette has been through more than enough I’m not going to let you intimidate her or talk down to her.” That was enough to get her attention back and she looked insulted.

“I can’t believe you even think I would do that. I have nothing against the girl. The Kwami are the ones that are the problem. They never should have placed this burden on one so young.” Bruce wasn’t sure he could come up with a tactful way to tell her that she was in fact taking it out on Marinette whether she saw it or not.

“Either way it’s obviously out of our hands and given your interactions with the creatures so far, you’re not going to change their minds. If you can’t let it go, I need you to leave while we sort this out.” Her face when through a variety of emotions before she gave a small nod. Well it was something at least.

“What exactly are Kwami?” Selina’s question gained everyone’s interest. Even Tim turned to wait for the answer. Diana frowned at them all before answering.

“You’ll have to ask the Guardian if you want to know. It is not my place to reveal those secrets.” Bruce wanted to be annoyed but he could tell she was trying to be respectful of Marinette rather than just being obstinate. He looked back at the shield and wondered if he’d have the chance to ask her.

“Bruce, what are you going to do?” The wariness in Selina’s tone brought his attention back to his family. They were all looking at him like they expected him to explode. So what if he wasn’t fond of magic? Did they really think he was going to take it out on the girl? Yes, they obviously did. He let out an aggravated breath.

“That will depend on Marinette.” No sooner had the words left his mouth than the shield started to disappear. Each of the children had a Kwami on their shoulders but the others seemed to have vanished, as had the box they’d brought with them. Adrien and Chloe were at Marinette’s back, making their loyalty obvious. He had a feeling the display was aimed at Diana. For her part Marinette looked like she was about to pass out.

“Mr. Wayne?” Her voice was quiet and small. Diana opened her mouth and everyone in the room except Marinette glared at her until she closed it. He really needed to get her out of the house until she got used to the idea.

“Yes Marinette?” He tried to keep his tone soft but it didn’t seem to help her nerves at all.

“Could I… could we talk, in private?”


	50. The Talk

Bruce waited. He and Marinette were back on the couch in his office and she was back to refusing to make eye contact and staring at the floor. She kept switching between wringing her hands together and nervously rubbing the earrings she now had on. Tikki kept shooting him encouraging smiles from the girl’s shoulder as they waited for Marinette to find her voice.

“I’ll leave if you want me to.” Not the best start, but at least she’d gotten words out. Tikki was looking at him expectantly. It was the same face Selina made at him that was code for if you screw this up you’ll be missing body parts. Great, because there hadn’t been enough people in this house ready to disembowel him if he upset Marinette already, let’s add magical creatures to the mix.

“What do you want?” The question surprised her enough that she looked up at him in confusion. He had a feeling no one had asked her that in a long time.

“It’s your house.” She seemed uncertain of how to respond to the question. “You said you don’t like magic and we can go somewhere else so you don’t have to deal with it. It could also be dangerous for you if we stay, if the wrong people find out about it.” She was just listing off the reasons he shouldn’t want her to stay.

“Marinette I asked what you wanted to do, not what you think I want. But since we’re on the subject, I want what is best for you. If that means I’m going to have little flying creatures all over the place, so be it. I’m also fully aware that if you stay Adrien and Chloe will end up moving in here as well. They already half live here anyway.” Tikki laughed but Marinette looked horrified.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know they were here too much. I’ll tell them to cut it down to every other day, or weekends. And I can keep the Kwami contained and only let them out in my room. They wouldn’t be a bother I promise.” Well they definitely hadn’t progressed to the point it was okay to joke with her but on the plus side it did sound like she was planning to stay at the manor.

“I have no problem with Chloe and Adrien being here. You need them with you, especially now. As for the Kwami, I have no idea what to expect so I’ll trust your judgement. If something becomes an issue we’ll talk about it. You may be the Guardian of the Miraculous but I’m your guardian and it’ll take more than a little magical nonsense to make me rethink that decision. Damian tried to kill Tim and he’s still here.”

Marinette couldn’t seem to decide how to react to that. Bruce thought she might be under the impression he was kidding. He wished he was. For all he didn’t understand her, at all, Marinette was far less problematic than any of his other children.

“But this is your home. You shouldn’t be forced to tolerate me and my problems.” Bruce could only stare at her. He didn’t even know where to start with what was wrong with that statement. For all Tikki was an eternal being tied to a piece of jewelry, they seemed at just as much of a loss.

“This is your home too now and you have just as much a right to be yourself and be happy as anyone else including me. No one here is ‘tolerating’ you. They care about you and want you to be safe, healthy, and happy. Even Damian and he only just tolerates me most days.” That brought a ghost of a smile but she still looked rather pained. “I don’t know exactly what happened to you in Paris, and I don’t want to unless you feel like telling me, but you need to know that it wasn’t okay. The expectations put on you by everyone around you were not okay. You being forced to take on the responsibility of saving Paris with only other children was not okay. Here, you’re allowed to be you and you’re allowed to be a child. I think I’ll have to insist on it actually.”

She just stared at him. He couldn’t even tell if the words had penetrated. Tikki offered a nod of approval though so he took that as a good sign. Marinette had been forced to be the responsible one for far too long. Even with Adrien and Chloe he’d noticed she automatically took on the role of mediator. Tears started forming in her eyes and he started mentally cursing at himself. Too fast, again.

“I don’t know how to do that.” Her small voice held shame and a hint of fear. His internal tirade picked up pace as he realized he’d basically just ordered her to be herself and she thought he’d be mad at her for disobeying him. Talking to her was like navigating a minefield with a map drawn by an alcoholic who was directionally challenged.

“”Then I guess we’ll just have to teach you so you remember. You called Chloe and Adrien toddlers so I’m sure they’ll be able to help. Dick would be the best of the boys to consult since the others are challenged in that area. Not to mention you have an army of Kwami that I’m sure will pitch in with ideas. There is not a wrong way to be a child Marinette, as long as you don’t model yourself after Damian or blow up the house.” That finally earned him a real laugh and he had to stop himself from cheering out loud. He’d finally made some sort of progress with her.


	51. Tikki's Frustration

“Guardian?” The soft, hesitant tone caused Bruce to look next to Marinette. It was another of the Kwami. The purple one. Marinette smiled gently at it and held out her hand for it to land. The creature refused to look at her.

“Oh Nooroo, no one blames you for what happened, I promise.” Marinette’s voice held understanding and she gently stroked the creature’s head. “The way Gabriel used you is not your fault and I know you tried to make him see reason.”

“I should have tried harder.” The creature sounded so much like Marinette when she talked about her life in Paris. “I… I was wondering…” She waited until it was obvious Nooroo wasn’t going to keep going.

“Wondering what? You can ask anything, I won’t get upset.” The creature still hesitated but Bruce was paying more attention to Marinette, hoping that her actions comforting the Kwami would give him an insight into how he could handle her in the future. He noticed Tikki studying him.

“Could you fix Duusu’s Miraculous?” Marinette frowned in confusion before looking at Tikki.

“Didn’t Master Fu fix it?” Both the Kwami’s shook their heads and Tikki let out an annoyed huff.

“No. I told him to ask you to do it but he said it was too dangerous.” The red Kwami started vibrating with their agitation. “Apparently more dangerous than leaving Duusu as is and potentially having another person die because of it.”

“Why couldn’t he just do it himself?” Marinette looked a bit pained at the way Tikki was talking about her former mentor and Bruce made a note to not bad mouth the man in front of her if it could be avoided.

“It requires creation magic, which has never been his strong suit, and a bit of destruction to heal the break. Even in his prime there’s no guarantee he would have been able to manage it, but as old and infirm as he is now, it would have killed him.” Marinette frowned in thought.

“If it’s dangerous for Marinette I don’t think she should do it.” The words were out of his mouth before he thought about it. Marinette started as though she’d forgotten he was even there but both Kwami were frowning at him.

“Marinette is my Chosen. There is no danger for her. Yes she will be tired and need to eat after but there will be no lasting effects.” Tikki turned to frown at the girl. “And you need to eat before too. You’re too thin. Do I need to give Plagg free reign in Paris?” Marinette stuttered out a denial but the creature looked livid. He’d need to see about having a private talk with the Kwami about what had happened before she’d been taken from Marinette.

“So you’ll do it?” Nooroo’s small hopeful voice drew their attention back to the matter at hand and Marinette smiled down at them.

“Of course I will, as long as Tikki explains how. Master Fu stopped training me when I lost my parents trust so I probably won’t be very good at being the Guardian at first. I’m really sorry I didn’t do better, and I’ll-” She cut off as Tikki flew up to her face vibrating with rage.

“You are already a better Guardian than Fu could have hoped to be. His poor decisions and refusal to help you are what led to all of this. You did nothing wrong. If he had just given you an alibi like we asked him to when you had to disappear to be Ladybug your parents would never had listened to those conniving, jealous, stupid children!” Marinette just blinked at the Kwami at first, too surprised to respond. Bruce was reminded of Plaggs words about angering the Kwami of creation.

“What do you mean you asked him to help me?” Tikki’s face fell at the guilt and shame in Marinette’s voice. She started tearing up as Bruce watched and he wished he knew what was going through her head.

“Mari, everything in your life was falling apart because you were Ladybug. Because Fu put his responsibilities on children and left them to fend for themselves. Plagg and I both went to him to get him to offer you and Adrien more support, or any support for that matter. You should never have been alone Marinette and I was sick and tired of watching you suffer.”

“I’m sorry I worried you. Sorry I wasn’t stronger.” Tikki let out what sounded like a muffled scream. Nooroo was eyeing the other Kwami like they were about to explode. Bruce flinched back as Tikki flew into his face.

“You’re claiming her as your daughter?” It sounded more like an accusation than a question but he nodded anyway. “Then it’s your job to fix this. I hope you’re up for it.” He had to fight not to smile at the obvious exasperation in the Kwami’s voice, until he caught sight of the hurt on Marinette’s face.

“Marinette, look at me.” She looked in his direction but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “All the people in your life who were supposed to protect you, supposed to believe in you, failed you miserably.” Her eyes snapped to his and all he saw was confusion. “From what I can tell, your parents and teachers treated you like an adult and left you to your own devices while placing higher standards on you than anyone should have expected. Your peers treated you like their personal slave and expected you to cater to their every whim no matter what it cost you. And I’m not just talking about money either.”

“I should’ve… I didn’t… It wasn’t their fault.” She was panicking, he could see it. He still didn’t fully understand why though and he wasn’t sure how much help he’d be if he couldn’t find the proper root cause. He thought about what Adrien said about her seeing the best in people and sighed.

“Maybe it wasn’t their fault, maybe it was the circumstance. I don’t know, but there is one thing I’m certain of.” She was studying his face. Looking for what, he had no idea. “All those expectations and all their actions have never been your fault.”

“But…” He could almost see her brain working. He wasn’t certain if she was trying to find a way to disprove his words or if she was still trying to justify the way everyone had treated her.

“No buts. Don’t try to reason it out. Human actions rarely conform to logic. For now, don’t think about what happened before. Any mistakes made in the past are in the past, no matter who made them. Don’t try to sort it out now. Right now it’s far more important for you to concentrate on the here and now. Can you do that?”

“I can try.” The words were hesitant and she seemed to be saying them more to please him than anything else. He shared a look with Tikki and they just shrugged at him.


	52. Compromises

Selina walked into the batcave that night to find Chloe and Adrien arguing with Bruce. By the looks of things it had been going on for awhile too. None of them seemed to notice her as she got close enough to hear.

“Please Mr. Wayne you have to let us go out on patrol. We’ll stick with whoever you want us to but Mari needs this.” Adrien’s plaintive tone was enhanced by the most innocent, wide eyed look she’d ever seen. It was impressive.

“Gotham is too dangerous to have you three running around when you don’t know the city. Not to mention I don’t know your capabilities. That’s a huge liability in a fight.” She had a feeling Bruce was just rephrasing something he’d said multiple times already. It didn’t work this time either.

“We’ll only observe unless you say otherwise and we’ll work together if it’s necessary since we’re used to fighting with each other. We’ll stay out of your way and Mari will be focused on keeping track of us. Not to mention we’re powered by miniature gods. Chances of us getting injured at all is slim to none.” Chloe’s tone was matter of fact and Selina could tell that she wasn’t going to back down.

“What did you mean when you said Marinette needs to go out on patrol?” All three of them started at her voice and she rolled her eyes and Bruce glared at her. Chloe was the one that answered her.

“She needs to be Ladybug again. She needs to remember what it’s like to feel powerful. What it feels like to have a purpose. As Marinette her only goal is to become what everyone expects her to be. As Ladybug she’s a hero, a tactician, and a leader. She needs to remember that.” Selina frowned in thought. It made sense and the girl really did need a confidence boost. At the same time Bruce had a point and none of them had been out as heroes since they’d taken down Hawkmoth. There was no telling how any of them would react once they were out there, let alone faced with taking down criminals.

“I understand where you’re coming from, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to do it so soon. Marinette’s entire life has been turned upside down, multiple times. She just gained a huge responsibility and you’ve all only just got these powers back. Don’t you think it would be a better idea to train in a controlled environment to get your legs back under you before taking on a city like Gotham?” The two teens shared a look and she could tell they were still set on their plan.

“While we understand your caution, Mari doesn’t shine in controlled environments. If there’s no real risk she’ll just stay in her head and try to please everyone. She needs to be in situations where she has to think and act quickly. Situations where she doesn’t have time to second guess herself. I’m sure to you it sounds crazy, but we were thrown into being heroes with no warning and no training. In the beginning Mari was unsure of herself but she did what needed to be done and quickly became the Ladybug everyone knew and loved. Her self doubt never went away completely but in a fight, when it really matters, she always pulls through. She’s the sole reason my father didn’t win and not just because of her powers. The longer she’s left to herself to overthink and over plan the worse she’ll get.” Adrien’s words made sounded more like a plea than anything else by the end. They really believed this was necessary and she couldn’t honestly disagree with them. Bruce let out an aggravated sigh and looked like he was going to launch into another round of explaining why it wasn’t a good idea when Plagg flew out of Adrien’s jacket and into the man’s face.

“They’re right. Pigtails needs this as soon as possible. If she doesn’t she’ll start defaulting to Fu’s teachings and that can’t happen. We’ll protect them. She needs to remember who and what she is and what really matters. That won’t happen if she’s left to stagnate in idleness and self reproach.” No one was going to back down, Selina could see it in the eyes of the teens and the stubborn set of Bruce’s jaw.

“How about a compromise?” They all turned frowns on her but she just kept going, addressing her fiance. “You go out on your normal patrol and I’ll take them out half an hour later to areas you’ve already cleared. It’ll cut down on the chance of them running into any major threats their first time out but still allow room for stopping some more minor crimes to help get them back into the swing of things.” None of them looked happy with the idea though Plagg did look thoughtful instead of annoyed for once.

“That could work. It’ll give them all a chance to re-acclimate to their transformations without too much stress. A good run will do them all some good.” Plagg was eyeing a bouncing Adrien as they spoke. Bruce finally seemed to accept that this wasn’t a fight he was going to win.

“Fine.” The teen’s faces brightened immediately and he scowled at them. “But only on my conditions. You will stay with Selina at all times. No splitting up for any reason and that includes chasing after suspects. You will have active comms at all times. One of you goes dark and I’ll drag you all back here kicking and screaming if I have to. If any big name villains show up you will report it and stand down to wait for us to handle it.” The last was more directed at her than the kids and she knew it but she just nodded at him. Chloe and Adrien seemed to have another silent conversation before Adrien shrugged acceptance.

“We can live with that.” Chloe’s tone said she was doing them a favor and Selina recognized it as the defense mechanism it was though she wasn’t sure what triggered it. Maybe she could use the patrol to get to know them all a bit better since she had a feeling neither would be going back to the hotel once the weekend was over. Bruce was going to have to add another wing to the manor at this rate.


	53. Father Daughter Bonding

Even having just woke up Marinette could feel the tension when she walked into the batcave. Mr. Wayne looked annoyed and was by himself at the computer while Chloe and Adrien were talking to Selina. Chloe and Adrien were way too excited. No one had noticed her yet so she walked over to Mr. Wayne.

“I can talk them out of whatever they got you to agree to if you want.” He jumped slightly and she winced. She’d gotten so used to moving quietly and not attracting attention that she tended to sneak up on people without meaning to. He gave her an appraising look.

“They want us to take the three of you out on patrol.” Marinette sighed as she wiped sleep from her eyes. She’d slept for close to six hours after fixing Duusu Miraculous and if she didn’t tire herself out again her sleep schedule would be completely disrupted so from that angle it was a good idea, but only from that angle.

“I’m sure they just miss going out and running on rooftops but I doubt they’ve properly considered how dangerous Gotham is. At the same time our transformations make us near invulnerable to normal weapons so it’s unlikely they’ll get hurt. I can try to find another outlet for them, or keep them occupied and out of your way if you want to go through with it.” He was still just staring at her and she couldn’t read his expression.

“What do you want to do?” She blinked at him. For some reason her brain wouldn’t process the question, or rather she couldn’t figure out what he really meant to ask her.

“It’ll be easier to keep them in line than talk them out of it but I can do either.” He reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose and she panicked. Was she supposed to know what he wanted her to do? He didn’t like magic so he probably just wanted her to talk them out of it. She should have been able to figure that out faster. “I’m sorry! I’ll tell them it’s a bad idea.”

“Marinette.” He gently grabbed her hands and she looked up to see concern in his eyes. Right, his eyes, that’s what she needed to watch. She’d spent so long avoiding eye contact with people hoping to be ignored that it was hard to do. “I’m not asking what your friends want, or what you can haggle them down to. I’m asking what you want. You’ve already been through so much and the last thing I want to do is force you out there to face things you may not be ready for.”

Marinette felt herself start to choke up. When was the last time anyone had asked her what she wanted, or what she was ready for? Even Chloe and Adrien assumed they knew what was best for her, even if it was out of concern rather than trying to control her. Everyone always told her what to do, how to feel, and what to think. Master Fu just left the Miraculous in her room assuming she would do what he wanted. Tikki expected her to just give up having a normal life to be Ladybug. Her parents, her teachers, her class, even her friends all expected her to be something they wanted her to be. No one had ever stopped to ask if that’s what she wanted. No one ever stopped to ask if she could do it.

She couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat but the longer she stayed silent the more worried he looked. Not knowing what else to do she leaned in to hug him. She almost did cry when he wrapped his arms around her to return it. When was the last time her Papa had hugged her? She honestly couldn’t remember. She burrowed in deeper, trying to memorize the feeling because she could never be certain there would be another chance. She’d assumed that she’d never lose her parents affection and she’d never properly appreciated it when she had it. Maybe that was why they didn’t want her. The stray thought made her flinch and she felt the arms around her tighten.

“It’s alright. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I’ll make the others back off and leave you alone to do things in your own time, okay?” She’d been so wrapped up in her spiraling thoughts that’s she’d completely forgotten the original question.

“I want to go.” Her words were soft but she knew he heard them.

“You’re sure? You’re not just saying that because you don’t want to disappoint Selina or your friends?” She looked over to where they were still huddled, planning who knows what. They still hadn’t noticed she was there. Plagg and Pollen kept shooting concerned looks her way though and she was glad they seemed content to leave them be.

“I’m sure. I miss going out. Patrols in Paris were pretty peaceful for the most part. We could run around and let off some steam. At the end it was the only time I didn’t feel like I was letting everyone down. I know Gotham is more dangerous and we’ll have to be a lot more careful but I’d still like to go.” The fact that she’d be going with his permission would remove the last thread of fear that had always lingered on those nights too. The fear that her parents would find out she was gone and be even more disappointed in her.

“Okay.” He didn’t sound overly happy about the idea, and that made her even more grateful. He wasn’t trying to force his opinion on her even though he could, and as her guardian he had every right to. “Well unless they’re over there plotting a way around it, the plan is pretty straight forward. We’ll go out as usual while you three hang back with Selina for at least half an hour and then she’ll take you through parts of the city we’ve already cleared. It’ll hopefully give you a chance to learn the city before having to deal with any of the riff raff.”

“Thanks Dad.” She felt him stiffen and realized what she said. She pulled away, too panicked to even apologize. She’d heard her classmates refer to their fathers that way and had said it without thinking. He’d told specifically to call him Bruce though. He hadn’t given her permission to call him anything else. This was bad. This was really, really bad. Suddenly his hands were cupping her face forcing her attention back to him. He didn’t look mad and that just confused her.

“It’s okay Marinette, just breathe. It’s fine if you want to call me dad, I just didn’t expect you to go straight to that from Mr. Wayne. The boys still call me Bruce except for Damian and I’m pretty sure he only calls me Father to remind the others that he’s the only one biologically related to me.” She couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped at his words and he gave her an encouraging smile. Maybe it would be okay.


	54. Fashion Disasters and Former Holder

On the outside, Bruce remained a calm and reassuring presence for Marinette because that’s what she needed from him. On the inside he kept switching between wanting to cheer and choking up. The fact that she’d called him anything other than Mr. Wayne was huge progress in itself, but she’d gone for something that showed her acceptance of his role in her life. The fact that she’d thought she’d get in trouble for it wasn’t great, and he’d have to tell the boys not to make a big deal of it if she kept calling him Dad. Just thinking about it made him want to grin like an idiot.

“Honestly Bruce, how did you only manage a week before they found out?” Barbara’s exasperated voice sounded from the entrance. “And please tell me you’re not dragging them into this life.”

“He’s not dragging us anywhere. Hell Adrien’s vibrating he’s so excited.” Chloe’s dry comment only got a shrug from Adrien and an eye roll from Selina.

“We only made it a week due to extenuating circumstances and Jason. Mostly Jason.” Barbara let out a resigned sigh at that but Bruce looked back at Marinette. All the kids had met her already but he hadn’t told them about her other roll yet. “Babs is Oracle, our tech expert and info gatherer. She and Alfred do a lot behind the scenes to keep us functioning.”

“I keep them from chasing their own tails and accidentally ambushing or attacking each other. Or in Jason’s case, falling off random buildings.” Her words caused a pained groan from the entrance.

“One time. That happened one time and you just keep bringing it up. What about the time Dick managed to tie himself to the antenna on Wayne Tower with his own grappling hook? No one ever brings that up and it’s way more noteworthy. Or how about the time Tim was running on fumes and ended up on the wrong side of the city, twice.” Bruce could only shake his head at Jason’s rant while Marinette seemed torn between laughing and horror.

“Oh that’s nothing you should’ve seen Mari on the first day we got our Miraculous. She literally fell from the sky and ended up wrapping us both up in her yoyo.” Marinette narrowed her eyes dangerously at Adrien.

“You really want to play that game Chaton?” Adrien’s eyes widened in panic as he frantically shook his head while Chloe struggled not to laugh next to him. “That’s what I thought.”

“Wait, does that mean Jason was right about you being Ladybug?” Marinette nodded at the question and Barbara groaned. “Damn it. I owe Dick fifty bucks.”

“You bet on whether or not Mari was a hero?” Jason seemed confused which made sense given that he’d won the same bet with Dick. Barbara shook her head.

“No we bet on whether one of your crazy theories would ever turn out to be true. I suppose it was bound to happen once.” That started another round of bickering between the two so Bruce stood and led Marinette over to her friends.

“From what I saw of your outfits, we’ll need to find things for you to wear over them. Bright colors may have been fine in Paris, but here you don’t want to be noticed before you’re ready. Adrien’s would probably work fine but you two have far too much color to blend into the background.” Marinette was nodding thoughtfully but Chloe just wrinkled her nose in annoyance. Before either could respond Tikki flew out to address him.

“Our Chosen’s transformations aren’t static. Their suits change to reflect both them and the environment they are in. Given everything that’s happened their looks will be very different and we can modify them further to blend in better to both Gotham and your team. However I won’t go so far that it will offend Mari’s fashion sense. Honestly, some of the outfits you have are so far beyond fashion disasters that it’s frightening.” Bruce could see Marinette trying to hold in a smile at the Kwami’s critique but Chloe just laughed.

“Isn’t that the truth. You should let Marinette do a redesign for you. Even if she wasn’t one of the best designers out there, it’s not like she could do worse.” Selina was grinning at the insult while Adrien had to cough to cover a laugh. Poor Marinette looked like she was about to swallow her tongue.

“Chloe! That’s extremely rude.” The girl in question just shrugged and Marinette shot him an apologetic look.

“For the most part everyone creates their own look. Granted the first Robin outfit was a combination of Dick being a circus acrobat and my wanting to be able to spot him no matter what.” Looking back it may not have been the best decision given the colors had stuck. Before the topic could go any further, Alfred walked in and another Kwami appeared and flew into the butler’s face scowling.

“I thought I sensed your presence.” Alfred didn’t look surprised or concerned.

“How have you been Duusu?” Bruce looked at Marinette but she seemed just as lost as he was. The Kwami turned their back on Alfred in a huff.

“I’m not talking to you. This is all your fault.”

“You can’t blame me for what happened after you were taken from me.” Alfred sounded like he was lecturing one of the boys and Bruce saw Marinette wince.

“Of course I can! If you had just listened to me and done as I asked none of this would have happened. Because you had to follow orders they lost their childhoods.” They pointed at the three Parisians, then specifically to Adrien. “He lost his entire family!”

“Duusu, it’s not fair to put all the blame on one person.” Marinette started trying to calm the situation but the Kwami just scoffed.

“What would you know?” Marinette flinched and curled in on herself and Duusu looked horrified. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean that, I know you know a lot about a lot Guardian.” The Kwami flew to Marinette and hugged her cheek. Plagg rolled their eyes.

“Duusu’s the Kwami of Emotion and given everything that happened, they’re a little volatile.” Tikki’s words were obviously meant to soothe Marinette as they were eyeing Alfred suspiciously. Bruce wished he were surprised Alfred was somehow involved in this. “Why exactly do you blame him for what happened?” Tikki’s question caused the Kwami to glare at Alfred again.

“I told him that Nooroo and I weren’t meant to be used the way they were using us. I told him his partner was a spy. I told him he needed to take Nooroo and me to find the Guardian. He refused to listen. Because of that his partner, the spy, stole me from him and handed the Miraculous over to scientists who believe they could duplicate our magic. The experiments they did tainted Nooroo and damaged my Miraculous to the point that anyone who used it died.”

Marinette was frowning in thought while holding the Kwami to calm it. Plagg and Tikki shared a look but stayed silent. For his part Alfred didn’t deny what the creature said. It must have happened when he was very young, before Alfred had developed his omniscient personality.

“I understand why you’re upset Duusu, especially given that all of you decided Fu wasn’t fit to be the Guardian anymore mainly because he wouldn’t listen, but everyone makes mistakes. Yes some are far more devastating than others but in the end the fault lies with the people who abused you, even if you felt betrayed by your holder.” By the time Marinette finished speaking, Duusu was crying into her neck while both she and Tikki consoled the creature. “It wasn’t your fault either. You did everything you could to prevent what happened.”


	55. New Looks

Once Tikki and Marinette calmed Duusu down the Kwami just disappeared. Selina was both confused as to where the creatures kept appearing from and worried about the fact they could in the first place. She didn’t really want to constantly be on alert for them. However that was a worry for later.

“Why don’t you all suit up so we can make sure no adjustments are needed.” Plagg looked insulted but Tikki just hummed in agreement. Chloe and Adrien both looked like it was Christmas morning while Marinette rolled her eyes at them. The yellow Kwami on Chloe’s shoulder didn’t react at all, they just sat there serenely and waited.

“Who wants to go first?” Marinette’s question was met with her friends excitedly yelling for the honor. It quickly devolved into Chole putting Adrien in a headlock while Selina struggled not to laugh at Marinette’s expression. The poor girl did not look awake enough to deal with this. “Or maybe we should wait until you can both act like heroes instead of children.” Chloe looked insulted but Adrien looked panicked.

“We’ll be on our best behavior, right Chloe?” He tried to look up at the girl but she hadn’t loosened her grip at all. Chloe was glaring at Marinette who, for once, looked completely calm. The girl finally huffed in annoyance and let Adrien go.

“Fine, but I reserve the right to venom his ass if he goes overboard with the puns.” Adrien puffed up looking insulted but Marinette responded before he could open his mouth.

“That’s fair.” The poor boy looked utterly betrayed. “Chaton, why don’t you do the honors?” Adrien let out a happy squeal and they watched as a bright green light covered his body. When the light died down Selina could help the smile that took over her face.

The first thing she noticed were the ears and tail. Both looked real and moved just like a cats would. It was possibly the strangest and cutest thing she’d ever seen. Marinette and Chloe were both frowning at his legs and she noticed that the joints had shifted to mimic a cats as well. It looked like no one had expected that. His suit was still black but had dark forest green accents instead of neon. The bell that had been in the few pictures they’d seen was gone and instead of a leather onesie his suit appeared to be black cargo pants and a long sleeve t-shirt. At his waist was his baton but it was a gunmetal color rather than silver. Across from it was a bola and he also had a tactical vest. It was anyone’s guess what was in the pockets. The most jarring part was that his bad eye was now entirely blood red.

“That’s interesting.” Marinette was looking back and forth between the boys legs and his eye.

“The question is, is it good for anything other than being creepy. Can you actually see out of that thing now?” Chloe waved her hand in front of his face and Adrien just scowled at her.

“No, not exactly. I think I can see heat signatures with it?” Well that could certainly come in handy in the dark.

“We’ll have to test it when we go out, see how effective it is.” The boy grinned at Selina’s words before she turned to the girls. “Who’s next?” Marinette nodded to Chloe and this time a yellow light almost blinded them.

Chloe’s suit was mostly black as well but with amber accents. While it was more form fitting than Adrien’s it wasn’t skin tight. Her top was at her waist but she was also wearing a bandolier with what looked like grenades and canisters on it. Her knuckles were obviously reinforced, it looked like metal or at least something similar, and she had sais strapped to each thigh. When she moved Selina also noticed translucent wings on the girls back.

“What exactly are all of those?” Bruce gestured to the bandolier and Chloe just gave him a cheeky smile.

“Smoke bombs, tear gas, flashbangs ,and other assorted non-lethal explosives. My main function is crowd control after all.” Selina could see the lecture coming and intervened. She had said non-lethal after all.

“Looks like it’s your turn.” Marinette looked extremely nervous and Tikki whispered something in her ear. The girl took a few deep breaths before a soft pink light overtook her. While the other two had been bright and impossible to look at, Marinette’s transformation seemed more like a cocoon of energy was encasing her. As it faded Selina noticed that the girls eyes were squeezed tightly shut.

Once again the suit was mainly black. She had dark red accents on her forearms and thighs.The entire suit looked armored, almost like overlapping plates though Selina couldn’t see where one ended and the next began. She had combat boots and a utility belt. Her yoyo was at its normal spot but she also had retractable batons on either hip. Her mask started out black at her forehead and slowly faded to the same dark red as other parts of her suit at the bottom. Unlike the others she had a hood, black on the outside and red on the inside. Her back looked like it had a slit down the middle and Selina was willing to bet there were wings underneath.

When Marinette cautiously opened her eyes to see their reactions Selina gave her a reassuring smile. Adrien and Chloe both just looked stunned. When she glanced at Bruce it was with an air of uncertainty that made it seem as if she was waiting for him to yell at her. Once Bruce gave her an approving nod Marinette let out a relieved breath. For her part Selina couldn’t help but find it amusing that they each had one of the standard Robin colors, even if they were different shades.


	56. Another Surprise

Bruce frowned in consideration as he looked over the teens in front of him. With Adrien’s legs and Chloe’s wings it was obvious they were magic or meta. Marinette was the only one who could pass for a normal vigilante.

“Do those things work?” He gestured to Chloe’s wings and the girl just shrugged.

“One way to find out.” She closed her eyes and a few seconds later the wings began to flutter. Chloe was frowning in annoyance until they suddenly seemed to obey her command and she ended up hovering about three feet off the ground. She gave a smug smirk. “Yep, they definitely work.”

“That’s so unfair.” Adrien pouted as he looked up at her. “You get wings and I’m still going to have to rely on my baton to get around.” Marinette rolled her eyes at him.

“I’m pretty sure you’ve got some type of grapple behind your bola Chaton.” The boy looked down excitedly and found the object she was talking about.

“Yes! This is so cool!” The boy could literally destroy anything with a single touch and was staring at the device like it was his favorite toy. Bruce didn’t know what to make of it. He watched as Adrien studied the object before pressing something that caused it to shoot up into the ceiling. His joyous grin was short lived as the grapple retracted, pulling him with it. He only had time to let out a startled yelp before crashing into the ceiling then immediately falling back to the floor. The grapple detached and fell after, hitting him in the stomach. Adrien just lay there and let out a pained groan. Marinette looked like it took all her self control not to laugh, but Chloe had a huge grin on her face as she squatted down next to the boy.

“Well, well. And what have we learned from this incident?” Adrien just gave another groan in response. “You’re already powered by the essence of bad luck and you should know by now that teasing Mari brings you nothing but pain.” Bruce watched as the boy just flipped her off and heard a cough from Marinette that he was certain was to cover a laugh.

“Well Chloe’s wings work, what about yours?” Marinette frowned at Selina in confusion and Bruce watched his fiance walk over to run a finger down the seam in Marinette’s back. “I’d be shocked if there weren’t wings under here.” Marinette closed her eyes and frowned, much like Chloe had, and they watched as her wings folded out. There was dead silence until Selina broke it with a bark of laughter. “Well, it looks like someone’s a fan.”

Marinette’s eyes shot open and when she got a look at the wings her entire face lit up red. Bruce could only stare at her for the longest time, at a complete loss. He’d expected to see insect wings like Chloe’s not… this.

———————————————————

Jason watched in shock as the seam at Marinette’s back spit and continued to move outward. He’d expected it to just be an outer covering but as he watched it just kept expanding until Mari stood before them with impossibly large bat wings. Just like her mask they started out pitch black at the top and slowly faded to crimson.

He barely registered Selina’s laugh but he saw the expression on Marinette’s face when she got a good look at herself. She was adorable when she was embarrassed. Bruce just kept staring at her, obviously making her even more nervous so Jason cleared his throat.

“So can you actually fly with those or just glide?” She was being powered by a tiny god so he had little doubt of the answer, but someone had to say something.

“I’m not sure…” He watched as she flexed the wings experimentally a few times before they heaved downward, propelling her towards the ceiling. She let out a startled gasp and only just managed to change directions before she would have crashed. She circled gracefully before landing hard in the same spot she took off from. Her wings hit the ground to lessen the impact and the thumbs poked holes in the stone floor with the force. Holy…

“Sorry!.” She hurriedly got up and muttered something causing a few ladybugs to appear and repair the damage to the floor. “I wasn’t sure how much force I would need to lift off.” She partially retracted the wings so they weren’t in the way, but didn’t fully close them.

“You need a new nickname!” Adrien’s excited yell caused her to jump before she glared at him.

“No, absolutely not.” Chloe looked pained at the very thought but Adrien just kept going.

“Bugbat! No… batbug? No, no, I’ve got it! Vamp Bug! Or maybe-” He cut off abruptly and his entire body seemed to freeze up before falling to the ground. Chloe stood over him with her top in hand. Marinette looked like she was about to scold the girl but ended up sighing in relief instead.

“Thank you.” Chloe just gave her a sympathetic nod before stepping over the boy.

“We both know that names should be left to those whose main form of communication isn’t terrible puns and dad jokes.” Marinette let out a tired sigh before replying.

“Very true, so we should figure out what we want to be called before your sting wears off.” She looked at the comb in the other girl’s hair and gave a satisfied hum. “It looks like you’ve got five uses on your powers now and a good thirty minutes after before you turn back.” For some reason Chloe lit up at that.

“Well, I can still go by Bee. That way it’s less likely anyone will mess it up. I don’t think Ladybug, or even bug fits for you though.” Marinette ran a hand over her face with a tired expression.

“No I guess not.” One of her hands fiddled with the edge of her wing as she thought. “How about Crimson Bat?” She was peeking at Bruce, seeking his approval of the name. Bruce just nodded apparently still mute from the shock.

“What about him?” Selina asked, pointing at Adrien who was still motionless on the floor. Marinette and Chloe exchanged a look as identical grins came over their faces. When they spoke it was in perfect tandem.

“Bad Karma.”


	57. First Patrol

Adrien had to stop himself from yelling at the pure elation he felt being back on the roof tops. He was using his baton to travel for now because even if his depth perception was off, at least his body knew what to do. Until he was certain how his powers and his eye would affect him, he thought it best to play it safe as they chased after Catwoman.

She stopped a couple roofs ahead of them and they all landed soundlessly around her while she assessed them. He couldn’t tell what she was thinking though. Bee wore the same dopey grin he was sure was on his face but Crimson Bat was far more serious. As he watched she seemed to scan the entire area and he knew that if they were attacked she’d have all the escape points and terrain advantages they’d need to win. While he wished she were enjoying herself more it was actually a relief to see her settle back into her hero persona.

“Anyone have a preference on where we go? Since the bats have already cleared the area once we don’t have a set route to follow.” He just shrugged at Catwoman’s question. He was just happy to be out, he didn’t care where they went. Bee looked like she wanted to make a suggestion but was holding back. He had no idea why though.

“Why don’t we check in on Syd? She should be at the hotel right?” Bugbat, he was going to use that nickname in his head even if they refused to let him say it out loud, had been eyeing Bee as well. Of course that’s where she’d want to go.

“That’s a good idea. Leaving Syd alone too long outside her normal environment isn’t good for anyone.” He shared a frown with Bee but before they could question the comment Catwoman was three roofs away and they had to hustle to catch up. By the time they landed on a building across from the hotel he was slightly out of breath. She moved quick. The lights were off in Chloe’s room which given the time could have been normal, but both his night vision in the one eye and the heat vision in the other were giving him nothing. There was nothing extra or out of place in the room and he didn’t see a heat signature signifying a person was there. It didn’t look like she’d been there at all.

—————————————————-

Catwoman frowned as soon as she saw all the lights were off. The girl would never admit it but she knew Syd hated the dark. If she could have lights on she did so Selina knew immediately that Syd wasn’t there.

“There’s no one in the room. Doesn’t look like anything’s been disturbed since you left Bee.” Bad Karma’s words brought a curse from Bee and a worried frown from Crimson Bat. As she listened to Bee list off all the things she was going to do to Syd when she got her hands on the girl, Catwoman couldn’t help but be impressed by the inventive torture she came up with.

“Calm down, there are any number of reasons that Syd might not be there.” For all her calm demeanor Catwoman could see the calculations behind Crimson Bat’s eyes as the girl processed the situation. “Do you know of anywhere else she might be?” Selina shrugged at the girl’s question.

“A few, though the most likely is an abandoned theater she likes to practice at.” The building’s former owner had pissed off Ivy so she retaliated by turning it into a temporary garden. It was still overgrown so no one else went there but Syd claimed the acoustics were good. She would have said the Iceberg Lounge since it was a Saturday night but she knew the Penguin had closed this weekend to do repairs after an altercation between Two-Face and Scarecrow.

“Is it in a cleared area?” Crimson Bat was watching an extremely agitated Bee when she asked the question. It was obvious she was worried and given Chloe’s personality it was a strong possibility she would run off on her own if they didn’t go looking for Syd together.

“Yes, the Reds cleared that area at the beginning of their patrol so we can head over.” Catwoman was moving immediately and she knew the others would follow. She could feel Bee right behind her and could see the other two flanking them as they went. She led them to a hole in the building just below the roof where they could enter and dropped down to a beam that was already occupied with Harley and Ivy as they watched Syd playing what sounded like Bach. It was rare they caught the girl playing classical violin music.

Harley and Ivy frowned past her as she felt the others take residence on the same beam. Bad Karma was next to her followed by Bee. Crimson Bat was at the end and Catwoman wondered if it was due to her reluctance to be around the rogues or if her friends were trying to shield her from something they thought might upset her.

“Batsy pulled in more vigilanties? Or did you decide to give him a run for his money?” Harley was eyeing Bad Karma as she spoke so Catwoman understood what prompted the second half of the inquiry. She was about to answer when she heard the boy beside her let out a low growl.

“We have company.” She looked where his attention was and didn’t see anything at first, but after a minute she could see movement and hear rustling near the only usable ground entrance. Syd caught it as well and was hastily packing her things. “They have what look like cattle prods so I’d say this is the same group she went up against before.”

“How many?” The soft question came from Crimson Bat as she studied their surroundings.

“Two dozen, maybe more. Their heat signatures are blending because they’re so close together.” The three friends shared a look before Crimson Bat looked to Catwoman. She spoke in a clear, confident tone that Selina was honestly surprised to hear.

“We’ve got this.”


	58. Back in the Swing of Things

Selina hesitated. The prudent thing would be to grab Syd and leave before the people in the theater knew what was happening. At the same time this group was obviously growing and they still knew next to nothing about it so being able to bring them in to question was also a priority. Surprise was on their side and for all they weren’t properly trained, the three heroes were experienced. If Crimson Bat said they could handle it they probably could, and she did have the Sirens here as backup in case anything went south.

“We’ve been up against much worse and this will give us a chance to use some new powers.” Bee’s voice was matter of fact but Catwoman could see the excitement in her eyes. Bad Karma was practically bouncing in anticipation beside her. Honestly she would have said no then and there if not for the calm way Crimson Bat was still assessing the situation and surroundings. Bruce only said to bench them if it was a serious villain, not a mob with cattle prods.

“Fine. But be careful and yell if you need back up.” She called in the situation to Oracle as a heads up but said they didn’t need assistance for now. Given the plants that were still growing here Ivy could probably take them all down by herself if things got out of hand. The anticipation coming from Bee and Bad Karma was enough to make her edgy but the mini bat remained a calm and steadying presence. It was so strange to see the girl so certain.

“Bee.” Crimson Bat said the one word with authority and Catwoman watched as Bee latched on to the forearms of each of her teammates.

“Hive Mind.” The words had power behind them and she watched as a honeycomb pattern descended over their heads settling in their eyes. It was a bit unnerving. Before anyone else could react the three launched of the beam, completely in sync. Bad Karma and Crimson Bat landed between Syd and the mob facing the crowd while Bee grabbed Syd and flew her back up to the Sirens. Syd just blinked at her in confusion until Bee grinned at her and winked. “Sit tight hot stuff, I’ll be back shortly to collect payment for saving you.”

Catwoman watched Syd roll her eyes as the other girl flew back to her partners, landing on Crimson Bat’s other side and could have sworn she heard her mutter something about learning to be more subtle. Before she could think on it, one of the mob spoke.

“Abominations! All things unnatural must be destroyed!” The group murmured in agreement but the three heroes burst into fits of giggles. No one seemed to know what to do with that.

“Do you hear that M’lady? We’re literally powered by forces of nature and they’re calling us unnatural!” Bad Karma couldn’t stop laughing but both the others were now glaring at the people in front of them.

“And who decides what is and isn’t natural?” Crimson’s voice was clear and strong, and heavy with disdain. “Who gave any of you the right to persecute others? You think you walk a righteous path when all you’re doing is following in the steps people like Genghis Khan, Tamerlane, Stalin, and Hitler. They believed what they were doing was justified as well.”

“I don’t know why she’s trying to talk sense to these idiots. All they want to do is pull down anyone who has more than they do, be it money, power, or just a better life in general.” Syd’s muttered words were met with sounds of agreement from all the Sirens, but Catwoman wasn’t surprised at the attempt. It was just like Marinette to believe that these people simply hadn’t thought about the situation properly.

The mob’s muttering just got louder as they brandished their cattle prods at the heroes. Catwoman watched as the three moved in perfect tandem to prepare for the coming onslaught. She was beginning to wonder exactly what Bee’s ‘hive mind’ did. It obviously created a connection but they still acted independently when needed. They really needed to question them about how their powers worked. As the mob closed in Crimson Bat held a hand out.

“Forge.” There was a blinding light that seemed to stun everyone but it left an object in her hand. Catwoman couldn’t quite see it but when she pressed a button they all felt the effects. All the cattle prods stopped sparking or making any type of noise and Catwoman could tell her comm was no longer functioning. Bruce was going to flip if they didn’t come back on quickly. She watched as one of the group got close enough to the heroes to try and stab at them with the now useless prod. Bee just grabbed the end aimed at her and shoved it back into the guys stomach with a smirk. That’s when the tranq guns appeared.

“Malchance.” Bad Karma’s voice was followed by a mist settling over the mob. At the same time Bee threw four or five smoke bombs into the group. She couldn’t see anything but heard panicked cries and pained yelps. Just as she was about to go down to check on things the smoke cleared and all the mob were either tied up or unconscious on the floor with darts sticking out of them. The three heroes just grinned at each other before moving to place zip ties on all of them. Then Crimson Bat cast her cure and the comms sprang back to life.

“One of you better answer me.” She saw Crimson’s face pale as Batman’s voice came through their earpieces. Shit, she’d hoped they wouldn’t be off long enough for him to notice. Bee and Bad Karma were next to their leader in an instant trying to calm her down.

“Sorry Bats. There was an EMP that knocked everything out. The situation is under control and the new members performed incredibly well.” She caught the grateful look from Crimson Bat and hoped she’d be able to intercept her fiance to explain before he blew up at any of them.


	59. Unexpected Revelations

“You two should probably head out before the police get here. I’ll make sure Syd gets somewhere safe for the night.” Harley and Ivy shared a look before shrugging at her while Syd just rolled her eyes. Ivy wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders and squeezed, probably tighter than necessary given Syd’s pained grimace.

“Don’t start with the attitude Datura, you know we just want to make sure you’re okay. Given the week you’ve had I’d say it’s best to be cautious.” The nickname caused Syd’s annoyed expression to soften. Datura Stramonium, also known as Angel’s Trumpet, Jimson Weed, and Devil’s Snare, is an ugly, poisonous plant and one of the possible side effects when you ingest it is basically flying into a blind rage. Given Syd’s tendency piss people off, Ivy thought it was appropriate and the girl agreed with her.

“I know. I’m just…” She trailed off and Selina knew she was searching for a way to explain how she felt. “I’m just tired of people. I want it to go back to when I could disappear for a week at a time and no one cared. I just want to play and not have to deal with… this.” Her gesture included the scene below them as well as the Siren’s themselves. They probably would have been insulted if they didn’t know why Syd needed time alone to decompress.

“Why didn’t you stay in the hotel then? You would have been by yourself for the whole weekend at least and Chloe has the entire floor rented so you would have been able to play without disturbing too many people.” Syd huffed out an annoyed breath at Selina’s question.

“I tried. Security threw me out before I made it to the elevator. Wouldn’t let me explain that I was supposed to be there, just assumed I was pulling something and escorted me out. They said they’d call the cops if I came back.” Harley looked ready to commit murder while Ivy just wrapped Syd in a much more comforting hug. Assuming they didn’t go after the hotel themselves, Selina would be making sure they got appropriate feedback from Bruce and Chloe for the incident.

“And why didn’t you call any of us?” Syd actually frowned at her in confusion.

“I wasn’t going to bother anyone over something so small and stupid. I can sleep anywhere. It’s not a big deal.” Selina suddenly remembered why talking to Syd was usually so frustrating. The girl’s idea of normal was skewed far beyond even most of Bruce’s kids. The fact that she was technically right most of the time just added to it. Before they could argue with her Red Hood dropped onto the beam next to them.

“Damn, did they take all of them down by themselves?” The teens were keeping watch over the nearly three dozen cult members. Some of them were still passed out from the tranquilizers but the rest were just glaring at their captors. Selina couldn’t help but smile at the scene.

“Yes they did. Do you mind waiting here with Syd while I go down there to explain what happened when Batman gets here?” She knew Syd would rather jump off the roof than be down in the middle of all those people. Not to mention the police whenever they showed up, and she needed to intercept her fiance before Crimson had a panic attack. He blinked at her before looking at Syd, who was still wrapped up in a hug from Ivy.

“Sure. Most of the cops that patrol this area don’t like me anyway.” Syd let out an amused snort and Harley and Ivy decided to leave once they heard sirens. Both telling Syd to call them if anything came up, no matter how small of a problem she thought it was.

—————————————————————-

Red Hood sat stiffly on the beam next to Syd as they watched the chaos below them. For her part Syd was watching the new additions with a puzzled frown.

“I’m surprised you guys let Mari out this early given the way everyone’s been hovering. Though I assume this isn’t their first rodeo given how well they work together.” He just nodded absentmindedly as he watched Catwoman whispering in a corner with Batman.

“Yeah, they’ve been a team for awhile. This was actually their idea though I’m surprised B actually caved to them. Wait, what?” He snapped his head around in shock as he realized what she’d said and what he’d just confirmed. “Who’s Mari?” It came out strangled as he was mentally cursing himself for not paying attention. Syd just gave him a bland look.

“I’d have to be stupid and blind to not see it Jason. Granted I wasn’t expecting Metas or magic or whatever the hell that is.” She gestured to the three heroes and he noticed Bee was hovering in the air with her wings while holding Bad Karma off the ground by his tail. Crimson Bat had her head in her hands in either acceptance or defeat. Then he realized what she’d called him.

“Who’s Jason?” This time the words came out about an octave higher than his normal voice and Syd raised an eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to the people below them.

“Have it your way Red Hood. It’s not like anyone can hear us up here.” He could only stare at her, his mind completely blank from the realization that she knew who he was. Probably knew who they all were. How the hell had she figured it out? Without conscious thought he grabbed her arm and dragged her with him outside before getting on his comm.

“As soon as you’re all done with the police I need everyone on the roof. We have a situation.” Syd just pulled out of his grip and rolled her eyes at him as if it was perfectly normal for some random civilian to know who they all were.


	60. Yet Another Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so someone asked me whether Jason had died and come back in this AU and I didn’t answer, mainly because at the time I didn’t know and it wasn’t relevant. Well, now it’s relevant lol so the answer is no. He was tortured by the Joker and spent over a year recovering but he wasn’t killed. He was still plenty pissed at Bruce for not handling the man properly, hence the timeout room mentioned earlier. And on to the next part…

When Batman finished with the police and made it to the roof, everyone else was already gathered. Most looked puzzled at the fact that Syd was there, and he was surprised as well. Red Hood seemed to be vibrating with anxiety that everyone could feel even though they couldn’t see his face. In contrast Syd just seemed done with everything.

“What’s the problem Hood?” It was Robin who lost patience first and asked the question. To everyone’s surprise Red Hood let out an unintelligible whine and pointed at Syd. Well that couldn’t be good. When he wasn’t able to get out any words Syd let out an annoyed huff before explaining.

“He’s freaking out because I know who you all are. Honestly I’m shocked more people haven’t figured it out.” Her words were so calm and matter of fact that it took a moment for them to actually penetrate. Once they did all hell broke loose.

Batman glared at the girl but she just glared back. Nightwing, Red Robin, and Red Hood were all yelling at each other. He could only sigh as he watched Bee and Bad Karma team up to disarm Robin. The boy’s initial reaction was, of course, to go at her with a katana, then a batarang once it was taken from him. In the end Bee ended up using her Venom on him because he just wouldn’t stop. He wanted to be upset with the girl for using her powers on his son, but it was probably the only solution that didn’t end up with someone seriously injured. Catwoman looked half worried and half amused, so she hadn’t known either. Crimson Bat was just frowning at Syd in thought.

“Enough!” His yell stopped the other boys immediately and had all the Miraculous users eyeing him warily. Syd just raised an eyebrow at him. “So who exactly do you think we are?” The girl actually rolled her eyes at him before proceeding to lest off all their identities, including the girls that weren’t even there.

“And how did you come to that conclusion?” Catwoman still sounded more amused than anything else, so she didn’t view Syd knowing as a threat. Given her attachment to a good portion of the Rogues in the city, he wasn’t so certain.

“You’re kidding right? First, you two aren’t nearly as subtle as you think.” She pointed between him and Catwoman. He knew her flirting with him in costume was going to come back to bite him in the ass eventually. “Second, every time Bruce Wayne gets a new kid, Batman gets a new sidekick with in a month or two. It probably would have taken me until the female Robin to figure it out though if not for the fact that I was the one that pulled Jason out of that warehouse. Once I had that piece everything else just fell into place.” There was dead silence for a moment.

“What?!” Red Hood’s disbelief was obvious and Syd just frowned at him.

“I dragged your ass halfway across Gotham to that hospital, you’re not seriously going to tell me you don’t remember.” That was not what anyone expected. Batman could tell she was being honest though and the hospital staff did say another street kid had brought him in that night. They thought the girl was mute and that fit with the timeline of when Syd apparently wasn’t talking. Four years. She’d known about them for four years and apparently hadn’t told anyone. That made him feel slightly better.

“The last thing I remember about that night was the Joker hitting me in the head with a crowbar. I had no idea how I got to the hospital or even out of the warehouse.” Syd blinked at him then cringed.

“Yeah, that’s fair. That actually explains a lot if I’m being honest.”

“How did you figure us out?” That question came from Crimson Bat and Syd just frowned at her.

“New kid, new sidekick, what’s to figure out?” He could see worry on her face as she thought about Syd’s words.

“I get how you figured that out for the others, but our identities are protected by magic. I don’t care how much reason or logic points to us, you shouldn’t have been able to come to that conclusion without one of us telling you.” She shot a look at Bee who just held up her hands defensively.

“I haven’t even talked to Syd since we got our Miraculous.” He watched the newest addition to his family chew at her bottom lip in thought and confusion before she closed her eyes and suddenly another Kwami appeared.

“Trixx, your magic is what protects the identities of Miraculous holders right?” The little orange being flitted about the girls head as it answered.

“Yes Guardian. It makes it impossible for someone to guess who you are. They have to actually see you transform or be told by a holder. Otherwise their mind can’t make the connection.”

“Is it possible that the protection is failing?” The creature actually pouted at her before giving an offended huff.

“Absolutely not.”

“Then tell me how she figured it out without anyone telling her anything about the Miraculous, let alone who we are under the mask.” Trixx wrinkled their nose in annoyance before turning to look where Crimson was pointing. The moment the Kwami saw Syd it gave out an excited squeal and flew straight at her. Syd did flinch as Trixx got within a few inches of her face, but he was impressed that’s all she did. The creature studied her up close for a minute before circling her and humming in obvious approval, before finally landing on top of Syd’s head and burrowing in her hair.

“I’m going to keep you.” Syd shot a confused and frankly worried glance at Crimson, but the girl didn’t see it since she was already pinching the bridge of her nose with a pained grimace.

“Trixx, that’s not how this works.” The tiny god pouted and judging by Syd’s wince was anchoring itself into the girl’s scalp.

“Tikki gets to keep you. And my Chosen are even rarer than Plagg and Tikki’s. I haven’t been paired with a true holder in almost two thousand years.” The creature sounded so pitiful. While Syd still looked confused he did see her expression soften a bit.

“I don’t really think this is the place for this discussion, and I’d appreciate it if you stopped trying to rip out my hair.” Trixx made an apologetic sound, and he assumed loosened their grip, but stayed firmly attached to Syd’s head regardless.

“Syd’s right. We should head back. All of us.” Syd just gave out a resigned sigh since it was obvious that the last remark was directed at her. He really hoped this was the last surprise for awhile, but he was fairly certain he wasn’t that lucky.


	61. Trixx's Chosen

When they got back to the Batcave, Marinette watched Nightwing hand a still paralyzed Robin to Alfred. Everyone in the family seemed to think it was a good idea for her not to cast her cure and just wait until it wore off naturally, though she wasn’t certain why. She hoped the boy wouldn’t be too upset at them, or at least that he wouldn’t try to get payback on Chloe for it. He may be a little badass but Chloe knew how to defend herself as well. It was a bit scary once you realized the things she always carried on her person. Mace being the tamest of them.

Syd had piggybacked Catwoman for the journey and was now letting her eyes wander around the cave with interest. She looked really excited by the computer and was headed in that direction before Selina grabbed her by the back of the shirt and whispered something in her ear. Syd just nodded and stood there sullenly.

Marinette dropped her transformation, Adrien and Chloe following her example, and all three Kwami rushed Syd. Wayzz appeared and followed them more sedately. Syd watched them all warily, and Marinette understood why given that Trixx still hadn’t let go of her head. Tikki and Wayzz just observed her for a moment before floating away and talking quietly to each other. Plagg was frowning at her and she just frowned back. The black Kwami’s expression softened suddenly and he flew up under the girls chin and started purring. Adrien glared at the interaction.

“Are you kidding me? It took you weeks to show me any affection at all.” He sounded exasperated but Marinette saw a look pass between Wayzz and Tikki that made her worry. It ended up being Wayzz who spoke.

“Trixx’s Chosen are always badly mistreated from a young age. Their ability to see past the facades and lies most people hide behind does not endear them to the people around them. Some try to use them but most simply ignore or abuse them for it. They are abandoned or run away at a young age and keep running most of their lives unless they’re very lucky.” Everyone was dead silent as the Kwami spoke and Syd was refusing to look anyone in the eye. “Honestly I don’t think Trixx’s Chosen are any rarer than the others, I just don’t think they manage to live to be adults very often. It doesn’t help that the Order held a prejudice against them either, so even if they found one they’d leave them to their own devices. They preferred to give the Miraculous to someone easier to control rather than a perfect match.”

The longer the silence lasted the louder Plagg’s purring got. No one seemed to know what to do with that information. Selina was watching Syd as if her reactions would tell her what years of knowing the girl hadn’t. Chloe was the one that ended up breaking the stalemate by marching over to Syd and pulling the other girl into a hug. The fact that Syd not only let her do it, but seemed to be trying to hide in Chloe’s shoulder said a lot about her mental state.

“What do you mean when you say they wanted someone easier to control? Did one of Trixx’s past holders go against the order?” Trixx let out an angry bark, but otherwise didn’t react. Tikki sighed sadly.

“Yes and no. Trixx’s holders always have a very strong sense of justice and right and wrong but that doesn’t always line up with the Order’s goals. Think Robinhood as an example. He robbed from those in power to give to the people they oppressed, but obviously the people in power would see this as a crime. During different time periods the Order’s idea of keeping the balance had a tendency to clash with what Trixx’s holders considered just. A big part of the problem rested in the fact that the Order isolated themselves from the world at large, only entering into it when there were major imbalances, while Trixx’s Chosen were not only a part of that world but almost always oppressed by it. Trixx’s last Chosen found out that the Order had let an entire village be destroyed, all its inhabitants killed. In return they went after those responsible before returning to the temple and killing those who made the decision not to intervene. They other holders at the time tried to stop them and failed miserably. It only ended when she’d decided everyone who deserved to pay for that atrocity was dead. After that they gave themselves up to the temple’s justice.”

“I was forcibly stripped from my Chosen and made to watch as they decided and carried out her death sentence. Ever since then the Order refused to accept or train anyone who resonated too strongly with me for fear of what they might do.” Trixx’s voice held a profound grief and Marinette couldn’t even imagine the pain they’d suffered as they’d watched their Chosen die with no way to stop it. It was a punishment and a warning to Trixx more than anything else. Marinette walked over and placed a comforting hand over the shaking Kwami.

“The Order is gone Trixx, no one here is going to hurt Syd, or try to keep you from her. But whether or not she becomes a holder is going to be up to her. Not everyone wants to be part of this world, Chosen or not.” She kept her voice as gentle as possible, especially since Syd hadn’t moved or reacted at all since latching onto Chloe. Neither she nor Trixx responded. “Chloe, why don’t you take Syd up to my room.” Chloe seemed relieved to have something to do and immediately detached just enough so they could walk without tripping over each other. As they exited the cave it seemed like a wave of relief swept over everyone.

“What exactly do you know about Syd’s early days?” Bruce’s question was aimed at Selina and she shook her head.

“Very little. I know that she first learned to play from an older man who made a living as a street musician and she got his violin when he died. But that’s the only thing she’s ever talked about from her past. She tries very hard to live in the now rather than what has been or will be.” Marinette’s heart broke a little at that observation. It made sense that when your past was filled with nothing but pain and your future was so uncertain you’d concentrate on as small a time frame as possible.

“Looks like we’ve got another one to add to the ‘my parents fucked me up royally and the rest of the world didn’t help’ club.” Adrien’s voice was dry but there was no real humor in it. Everyone else in the cave simply nodded at the truth of that statement.


	62. An Unusual Beginning, and an Unfortunate End

“I take it you’ve decided to give Syd the Miraculous then, assuming she accepts?” Bruce watched Marinette nod absently to Selina’s question, her mind obviously elsewhere. When she did finally surface from her own thoughts her attention immediately went to the two Kwami that were still whispering together.

“Tikki, is it normal to have so many holders that resonate with the Miraculous all so close to the same age?” Tikki and Wayzz shared a look before they flew over to sit on Marinette’s shoulders.

“No it’s not. Especially not so many grouped together. We think it’s because of the imbalance currently in the world, and the effects of Duusu’s Miraculous being damaged. It’s almost like you were all born specifically to combat the problem. Especially you.” Bruce shared a look with Selina and saw the same confusion in her eyes that he felt.

“What do you mean?” Marinette sounded like she really didn’t want the answer but felt obligated to ask so she’d understand. Wayzz floated up to look her in the eyes.

“Your parents called you their miracle child because they’d given up hope of having children. Master Fu actually looked into it and there’s no way possible you should have been conceived in the first place. But the world and Tikki needed a creation soul to battle the coming tides so here you are.” Marinette looked like she was about to throw up but Adrien wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a grin.

“You hear that Bug? You were born to be a hero.”

“Is that why everyone ends up hating me? Because they can sense that I shouldn’t exist at all?”

“No!” The denial was practically shouted by everyone in the room and Marinette curled in on herself while Adrien tightened his grip on her. Wayzz seemed confused as to how she’d come to that conclusion in the first place.

“Marinette.” Tikki’s voice was soft and sure. “You are supposed to exist. Unlike most people in the world you even have a specific reason to exist. What happened in Paris was a combination of people being jealous of your talent and success and being selfish brats who couldn’t see past their own desires. They didn’t hate you but rather that you represented all the things they’ll never be and never have, at least in their own minds. I promise you that you aren’t meant to be constantly alone and abandoned. Now that you’ve found better people you will get back everything you lost and more.”

By the time the Kwami finished Marinette had tears running down her face and Adrien had her wrapped in a tight hug… and was he purring? Judging by the amused look on Selina’s face he was and it was one more thing for Bruce to add to his list of oddities.

“Why don’t we go check on Chloe and Syd? And make sure Plagg is still with them and not off causing problems somewhere?” Adrien’s soft question was met with a small nod and the two walked out with Wayzz following behind sedately. Tikki however stayed behind and that honestly worried him a little. It had been a long day of revelations and he had a feeling the Kwami wasn’t finished with them yet.

“You have questions for me.” Tikki was looking between him and Selina, obviously addressing both of them. He didn’t even know where to start.

“You were with Mari all the time before her Miraculous was taken from her right?” The Kwami nodded at Selina with a sad sigh. “I want to know what would possibly have made the people who raised her turn on her.” The amount of suppressed rage in her voice sent a shiver down his spine. Knowing that it wasn’t aimed at him for once didn’t help at all.

“I wish there was an easy answer to that but honestly it was so many things piling on top of one another. Mari was given far too much freedom and responsibility at an early age, but that wasn’t an issue before she became Ladybug, before she started getting clients for her designs. So much happened in such a short period of time and in the end something had to give. That something was usually favors and extra attention to her classmates. Making gifts gave way to client orders and spending time with friends gave way to saving Paris. Her priorities had to shift but the people that didn’t benefit from that shift didn’t like it. And then there was Lila, who was basically a catalyst for the entire blow up.”

“Lila Rossi?” The Kwami nodded at his question and he shot a look at Tim and Barbara who immediately began doing an even deeper background check on the girl. The fact that she was still free was honestly beyond comprehension. “Her name has come up a lot but I still don’t understand how she would turn Marinette’s parents against her.”

“She didn’t, at least not directly. As far as I know Lila never even met Mari’s parents. What she did do was fill their classmate’s minds with lies and a sense of entitlement. The first lie the girl told was that she was best friends with Ladybug. Obviously Mari knew that wasn’t true. Lila hated her because she wouldn’t be swayed like the others so every chance she got she’d put little seeds of doubt in everyone’s mind. Mari was late to hang out? Obviously she didn’t care about them enough to be on time. She couldn’t babysit because she had to work on a commission? She must care about money too much instead of helping her friends. She only brought in a cupcake for the person who’s birthday it was and not for the whole class? She couldn’t even be bothered to ask her parents for a cake and probably just grabbed something on her way out of the bakery. It was all stupid little things that added up in their minds as neglect and selfishness on her part. It didn’t take long before they started to get on her parents about it. If Mari had been able to tell them about being Ladybug, or if Fu had covered for her I doubt things would have escalated the way they did. But when they started to catch her lying to them it seemed to break their trust completely. Suddenly they were taking her friends words at face value and even if Mari could prove they were lying her parents wouldn’t listen because they didn’t believe her.”

By the end the poor Kwami just sounded drained and defeated. Selina held out a hand and the creature landed but wouldn’t look her in the eyes.

“It’s not your fault either you know. Given that you weren’t allowed to reveal yourself I don’t see how you could have helped more than just being there for her.” Tikki puffed up indignantly but there was no bite in their answer.

“I’m the Kwami of good luck and creation, I should have been able to do something. Just my presence should have been enough to keep that from happening. I still don’t understand why it wasn’t.”


	63. Alfred's Advice

When Alfred walked into the kitchen he was extremely surprised to see Miss Sydney sitting at the counter with nothing but a glass of water in front of her. Trixx was still attached to her head and the girl looked to be on the verge of a panic attack.

“Is everything alright?” The girl jumped up, knocking her stool over in the process, and spun to face him. Once she saw him she looked embarrassed and refused to meet his eyes. She also didn’t seem to be able to stop fidgeting. “Is there something I can get you Miss?”

“No, thank you I’m fine.” He raised an eyebrow at her and saw her cheeks turn pink. “I wanted to be alone to think, but I knew that if anyone woke up they’d worry so I left my stuff in the room.” Given her refusal to let her bag out of her site that certainly explained her unease. Trixx yawned and spoke from their perch.

“I told her leaving word with Tikki would be enough, not to mention that the Guardian still has my Miraculous so she’d be able to find me anyway.” Miss Sydney just shrugged before reaching down to right her seat.

“I take you you’re thinking over Miss Marinette’s offer of keeping the Miraculous?” The girl nodded again but that was it. It was a good thing he was used to dealing with less than communicative children. “What makes you want to turn in down?” Her eyes shot to his for a moment in surprise before she began staring intently at the countertop.

“I just don’t think I’m a good choice is all. I don’t want to be a hero or whatever, I just want to be left alone most of the time. What good is having that type of power if I just use it to stay away from people? Not to mention that I don’t really live in the safest places, what happens if I get killed or even just die from exposure? It doesn’t seem safe for me to have it.” Alfred could only let out a resigned sigh. The girl was stubbornly independent and didn’t believe in accepting help.

“Miss Sydney, you’re not going to go back to living on the street.” He saw a flash of annoyance or possibly anger but continued. “Especially knowing what you did for Master Jason no one is going to feel right about it if we don’t at least help with that. There are other options than living in the Manor if you feel uncomfortable here, but I do believe Master Bruce will insist on at least making sure you have proper housing and nutrition.”

He watched the girl frown in thought as she mulled over that information. Observing her he could tell very little and that was a problem given the fact that none of them seemed to be able to find any information on her. Sydney Mathis was not her birth name, nor the name she’d been adopted under. At least they hadn’t been able to find any record of such a child existing. It made sense if she was trying to keep her past in the past, and with her connection to the Penguin a new identity wouldn’t have been hard to come by. It was a rather unique puzzle all the same, one Master Tim had been spending multiple sleepless nights pursuing.

“No one owes me anything. I wouldn’t feel right about freeloading. The scholarship for school is bad enough since I know Selina is the only reason they gave it to me.” He would like to be able to argue that point with her but he couldn’t. The board at Gotham Academy was less progressive than he would like and while offering scholarships to deserving children as step or two below their student bodies economic class was acceptable, he knew they’d fought Selina on letting a homeless child into the school. And despite the fact that she’d proven, over and over again, that she was smart, talented, and driven they still treated her like some deep dark secret that needed to be locked in the back of a closet somewhere.

“What if it was in exchange for work?” Her eyes shot up to his and he saw a calculating wariness. He could only imagine some of the things she’d been propositioned for on the streets of Gotham.

“What kind of work?”

“Any number of things really. Given your photographic memory you’d be an asset to almost any division in Wayne Enterprises. If Master Adrien’s reaction is any indication your podcast is rather popular so he could give you room and board in exchange for some advertising there. I’m sure we could find something that would satisfy your need to contribute and give us the peace of mind that you’re being properly taken care of.” He could see her getting ready to argue. “Perhaps you should discuss it with Miss Chloe since she already owns her own business, to give you an idea of what your time could be worth.”

“That’s a great idea. We can go back upstairs and sleep until the others wake up.” Trixx’s comment only got an eye roll from their chosen but he felt certain Miss Sydney would at least consider the option. Now he just needed to talk to Master Bruce about the idea so the man wasn’t caught off guard if she mentioned it. Truthfully Alfred believed she would do very well working under Mister Fox. She was creative, critical, and had a unique perspective to everyone else on his team. But given her reclusive nature they might not be able to convince her to work on a team at all.

“And Miss Sydney?” The girl blinked up at him. “Just because you don’t feel heroic doesn’t mean you aren’t a hero. You’ve shown yourself capable of more kindness, self sacrifice, and bravery than many who claim the title. You pulled Master Jason out of a warehouse that was about to explode instead of just saving yourself and you’ve been helping Miss Marinette for no other reason than because it’s the right thing to do. You may not see it, but we do.”


	64. Early Morning Converstaion

As soon as she woke, Chloe could feel the warmth at her back was missing. Syd wasn’t a cuddler, not yet anyway, but she’d agreed to be on the bed with them at least. She moved away from the tangle of limbs Mari and Adrien always turned into to sit up and search the room. She let out a breath she didn’t even realize she’d been holding when she spotted Syd curled up in the window seat, forehead against the glass, sound asleep.

She got off the bed carefully, Mari wouldn’t wake short of someone jumping on top of her, repeatedly, but Adrien was far more sensitive to movement. Walking closer to Syd, Chloe was a little stunned at how small she seemed. When she was awake her personality and presence was a bit daunting, not that she’d ever admit that out loud. Like this though Chloe could see just how pale and thin she was. The bags under her eyes had bags and she was being swallowed in the pajamas that had been learnt from one of the boys. Then there was the bruising that still covered most of her face.

Chloe knew she was spoiled, She knew she had no real comprehension of poverty or homelessness Hearing that Syd slept in or on random buildings and didn’t always have food didn’t create the sense of worry that it probably should have. The concept of skipping meals because you don’t have access to food wasn’t something she’d ever experienced. Even the thought of not having a bed to sleep in wouldn’t form properly. It was just too foreign. But she sat there and tried because she wanted to understand Syd.

Syd lived in constant discomfort, sometimes even when there were other options, why? She would rather face gangs, criminals, villains, and cults than be adopted, why? Yes some parents were bad. Her mother and Adrien’s father were proof of that, but she still couldn’t understand being so against the idea of parents that she would rather risk dying on the streets of Gotham than letting Jagged Stone adopt her.

When they texted Syd would ask her about herself but wouldn’t talk about anything related to her own past. It was almost like she wanted to pretend it didn’t exist, or was afraid that talking about it would bring more of the same. Chloe realized she knew almost nothing about her except what was here and now. The little information she did have about the girl’s past had come from Selina or one of Syd’s extraordinarily rare slips.

Syd shifted and her shirt rode up slightly. Chloe saw two burn marks that had to have come from one of those cattle prods and remembered the comment about being electrocuted before. Between that and what Wayzz had said about Trixx’s holders in general she had a feeling that Syd had faced nothing short of torture at at least one point in her life. She unconsciously reached towards Syd’s shirt to pull it back down over the mark and gasped when her wrist was suddenly in a crushing grip. The look in Syd’s eyes scared her for a moment until the girl seemed to realize who it was and her gaze softened.

“Sorry.” She let go quickly but Chloe could still feel the pressure. She had no doubt the other girl could have broken her wrist if she’d wanted to, and was thankful for the restraint.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Syd just shrugged and went to rub one of her eyes before wincing as she hit the bruising and letting out a hiss of pain. “How did you end up over here?” Syd shot her a wary look and Chloe honestly thought she wasn’t going to answer.

“I got up to go get water and didn’t want to disturb anyone when I came back. Besides, the bed’s too soft anyway.” She wouldn’t look Chloe in the eye so there had to be more to it even though it didn’t sound like she was lying.

“I’m sorry if we made you uncomfortable by making you stay with us. It’s just with the way you tend to run off…” Given that it was starting to seem like this cult was targeting Syd they were all worried what would happen if she ended up back on the streets soon.

“I gave my word that I’d stay, before Selina just assumed I would. It’s different.” Chloe cocked her head and thought about what Wayzz had said about Tirxx’s holders having a strong sense of right and wrong. It made sense that Syd would stand by a promise and she didn’t realize that no one had ever actually asked her to stay before. Even the with the hotel Chloe had just told her it was free for the weekend and gave her the key. She was still beyond pissed that the hotel staff had been the reason Syd wasn’t able to take her up on the offer.

“I can see that now. I guess we’re all just worried about you.” She watched Syd frown in confusion and felt a strange blend of homicidal urges towards all the people who made her think no one would care about her and an almost overwhelming need to find a way to make her believe they did.

“I didn’t mean to concern anyone. Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” That seemed to make Syd pause and Chloe wasn’t sure if it was because she now had more questions she wanted to ask or just couldn’t fathom someone being willing to divulge so much information.

“Do you think it’s a good idea for me to take the Miraculous?” Her voice was small and uncertain as though she was expecting to either be punished for asking the question or afraid she knew the answer. Chloe didn’t like that tone at all.

“It’s a very personal decision. In the end you have to do what feels right for you. If you’re asking whether I think you’ll be a good holder then yes. You’re an amazing person Syd and the fact that you’re even questioning it proves you’re worthy of it, unlike me at the beginning.”

“What do you mean? You seem like a great holder.” Syd just looked confused and Chloe honestly didn’t want to explain for fear of what she’d think of her. At the same time she did tell her to ask her anything.

“I ended up with the Miraculous the first time on accident and my immediate thoughts and use of it were all completely selfish. It never occured to me to wonder if I should use the power it gave me but rather what I could get with it.” She couldn’t even look Syd in the eye as she spoke. Just remembering how awful she’d been almost had her in tears. She didn’t even want to think where she’d be today if Mari hadn’t helped her change, hadn’t seen something in her that was worth saving. She was pulled out of her head and Syd wrapped her in a hug. It was the first time she’d initiated the contact.

“Everyone makes mistakes. Who you were doesn’t matter. All that ever matters is right now. The past can’t be changed and the future can’t be predicted. All any of us have is one moment in time, the rest is just smoke and mirrors.” For the life of her, Chloe couldn’t tell if that was wise or just incredibly sad. Probably both.


	65. Morning Planning

Breakfast that morning was a quiet affair. As much as Bruce complained about the normal rowdiness of his children you’d think he’d be glad. He wasn’t. Damian spent the entire meal glaring at Chloe with absolutely no result since she and Syd spent most of it propped up against each other, asleep. Marinette just seemed to be deep in thought as she pushed food around her plate. Every once in a while she let out a sigh that had Adrien and most of the boys look at her with concern. None of them said anything though. It was like they were all afraid of what would happen if they broke the silence. Bruce didn’t really blame them.

So much had happened in the last twenty four hours that he felt like they were all just waiting for the next problem, reveal, or even alien invasion at this point. It was a rather uncomfortable feeling if he was being honest, and he really wanted the tension to break. He was just afraid of what might break it. Then Selina walked in.

“Mari, you’re supposed to eat that, not play with it.” The girl just blinked up at her in obvious confusion and Selina motioned to her plate. “I’m sure Alfred will get you something else if you don’t like it.” She frowned down at the plate in front of her before turning bright red.

“Oh! No, the food is fine, I was just thinking.” She started actually eating and it seemed like everyone started breathing again.

“What’s wrong with those two?” Selina motioned to Chloe and Syd as she sat and Marinette and Adrien shared a look before shrugging.

“We were up pretty late discussing things and when I woke up they were huddled together talking so I don’t think either one got much sleep.” Adrien’s matter of fact tone was offset by the mischief in his eyes. Bruce wasn’t the only one to catch it.

“I’d suggest rethinking any teasing Chaton, especially if Syd agrees to keep Trixx.” The Kwami in question was still attached to Syd’s head. Bruce didn’t think they’d moved at all. “You never have good luck against Chloe anyway, so imagine what she and Syd will come up with together.” The boy actually paled with a horrified look on his face. Selina let out a snort of laughter. Syd cracked one eye but seemed to decide there wasn’t a threat and settled her cheek against the top of Chloe’s head before falling back to sleep. Selina smiled fondly at the two before changing the subject.

“So Bruce, did you get any more information from those cult members?” He nearly groaned at the reminder of that headache.

“Nothing really useful. None of them seem to know who’s in charge. They all got a text from a burner to tell them where to meet and get their equipment and further instructions. The person who gave them those instructions was not at the theater and none of the people that were can describe them adequately. It is reasonable to assume they were there for Syd specifically since they were told to subdue and bring back a teenage girl. The warehouse they told us about was a bust so either someone outside that group was monitoring the situation, one of them is a really good liar, or one got away.” The fact that they’d been after Syd in the first place was concerning, more so because they didn’t know why. Selina’s scowl showed how thrilled she was with the knowledge.

“It could be as simple as she took out a couple of their members but the fact that they knew to look at that theater makes it seem like someone’s been researching her or tracking her for awhile especially since she’s almost completely off grid except her school records. Given that they didn’t try to go for her there or any of her regular performance spots says they know her movements almost as well as she does. That is what really worries me.” Tim gave the information in a flat tone that said he would soon be dropping for at least twelve hours. That didn’t make the information any less alarming.

“Maybe we could use that to set a trap.” They all turned their attention to Marinette and she flinched before clearing her throat and continuing. “Especially with Trixx’s powers we could easily create a decoy. The problem would be whether they’d send anyone higher up the next time. The other option would be to get someone inside the cult so we could at least know the next time they’re planning something.” Her voice got softer and more uncertain the longer she spoke and by the end she was staring at her plate refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.

“Those are both excellent ideas. We’ll have to spend a bit more time interrogating the ones we picked up to see which will be a more valid option.” She peeked up at him and he tried to give her a reassuring smile. Either he was getting better at it or she was just getting more comfortable around him because he saw her shoulders relax. The real question was whether she was expecting to be mocked or yelled at for offering the suggestions. Given what Selina had told him about how Marinette had taken charge the night before Bruce was realizing that Adrien and Chloe had been right saying that she didn’t shine in controlled environments. He’d have to find a way to make her more comfortable in the planning stages instead of just combat.

“The next problem is deciding if we need to keep Syd out of her regular routine to make it harder for them to try again or keep her in it to set a trap.” Selina’s question brought frowns from everyone. He didn’t like the idea of using the girl as bait period, and leaving her in danger that way was even worse.

“I’m the only lead you have on these idiots, I vote to use me to set the trap.” Everyone’s head snapped around at Syd’s voice. Bruce frowned at her but Syd just stared at him, almost daring him to contradict her. She was ready for war but what really worried him was the complete lack of care for her own safety. Syd gave off the air of someone who was ready to die and expecting it to happen constantly. He was honestly afraid of how far she might be willing to go to help take this group down.


	66. Questions and a Few Answers

“Well, given that they seem to know your schedule so well, they must also know your connection to the Sirens and they know that I was at that theater. They’ll expect us to protect you at least for a little while. So I think it will make more sense for you to stay here for a bit then we can pretend you decided to go rogue. It fits your personality.” Syd gave a thoughtful frown at Selina’s words.

“It’ll give you some time to heal and learn how to fight with Trixx.” Chloe didn’t even open her eyes to speak but Marinette and Adrien looked at Syd in surprise.

“Did you make a decision then?” Selina watched Syd’s face scrunch up in uncertainty but when she opened her mouth to answer, Chloe beat her to it.

“Yes she did.” Syd rolled her eyes at the command in the other girl’s voice and Chloe pinched her side. “I heard that.” Syd turned to frown at her but Marinette and Adrien just started laughing.

“Don’t let her bully you into this Syd. It’s not her decision to make.” Marinette’s voice was solemn even though her eyes still danced with laughter. Syd gave a thoughtful hum.

“I still don’t think I’m equipped to be a hero, but given everything that’s happened and the weird twists of fate that have led to this point… I feel like I should at least try.” She was staring at the ceiling, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes, and Selina was starting to wonder if she’d been pretending to be asleep the whole meal just to not have to deal with anyone. It certainly sounded like something Syd would do.

“She’s worse than you Mari. ‘I do heroic things all the time, but I can’t be a hero’ or ‘all I did was keep a group of kids from starving for an entire winter, but anyone would’ve done that’. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!” Chloe still hadn’t opened her eyes or moved from where she was leaning on Syd’s shoulder and Selina found herself fighting back laughter at her behavior, especially since she imitated Syd’s voice almost perfectly. For her part, Syd gave an audible groan.

“If you insist on making fun of me you can find another pillow.” Her voice was low and dangerous. That tone had backed off grown men before. Chloe just wrapped her arms around the other girl tightly.

“But you’re comfortable, and I don’t want to.” Marinette and Adrien broke into giggles again and Syd shot them a glare. It did absolutely nothing. Selina was starting to feel sorry for her.

“Is she always like this?” Syd’s question caused the two to share a look before they grinned at her and answered together.

“She’s usually worse.”

—————————————————————————

Bruce stared at Syd. They were in his office so they could actually talk without the others interfering. The problem was that he had no idea where to even start. The cult, their identities, the Miraculous… there were just too many problems that all inter connected for him to really choose one.

“Why haven’t you told anyone about us?” Syd just frowned at him in thought, as though she’d never really considered it.

“Why would I tell anyone? It’s none of their business, especially if they can’t figure it out on their own.” Well that wasn’t what he was expecting.

“Maybe not, but you could have sold the information to someone to benefit yourself.” The look of pure disgust on her face at that comment was honestly comforting.

“I’m not going to profit off other people’s pain. And it would just be you and your family that end up hurt by that information. The ripples of something like that would reach far beyond even Gotham given your power and influence.” He finally realized why he was having such a hard time understanding her. She was incredibly logical and tended to look at the big picture, but at the same time the sense of right and wrong she had twisted that logic in ways most people wouldn’t consider. She also seemed to be repressing most if not all her emotions but that he was used to.

“Do you have any idea why this cult is after you?” She blinked at the subject change and when she answered it was cautious.

“No… at least I don’t think so. Some of the things they say sound like something I should recognize or remember but anytime I think about it too hard it’s like my brain forces my focus elsewhere.” He could hear the frustration in her voice. Given the fact that most of her life was completely out of her control Bruce had a feeling she took a lot of comfort in the fact that her thoughts were her own. Something like this… he could see why it would annoy her.

“What’s your real name?” Her eyes flashed through far too many emotions far too quickly. The first was pain but she landed on rage, glaring at him for almost a full minute before she walked out. The sound of the door slamming behind her caused Bruce to sigh. He really didn’t like loose ends, and he really didn’t like the feeling he had that not knowing about Syd’s past was going to come back to haunt them.


	67. Choices

“I’m so sorry!” Marinette had walked out of the living room and straight into a body. When she looked it was to find Syd looking extremely upset. “What’s wrong?” Syd just shook her head but Trixx answered.

“The man that’s always annoyed asked her what her real name is and she slammed the door on him.” Marinette frowned at the Kwami.

“Trixx you should let Syd answer, or not if she doesn’t want to. Are you okay?” Syd just blinked at her with a confused look.

“Aren’t you going to ask about my conversation with Bruce? Or what Trixx means by real name?” Marinette could tell Syd was looking for a specific reaction but she didn’t know what.

“If you want me to know you’ll tell me.” Syd opened her mouth to respond but Selina interrupted.

“Good you’re both here. Bruce wanted me to remind you about the Gotham University Young Leader program. Since you’re both scholarship students at Gotham Academy you were automatically enrolled. It’ll be a good way to keep you out of your normal schedule Syd.” Marinette could only stare at Selina in shock. With everything that had happened she’d forgotten about it. Honestly given her file she’d assumed she wouldn’t be allowed to go. Syd just groaned.

“I knew there was a reason I wanted to disappear this week.” Selina was frowning at her. “Don’t give me that look. I’m not going to college so there’s absolutely no reason for me to be there. It’s just a waste of time.” Selina blew out a frustrated breath.

“Syd we’ve talked about this…”

“No, you’ve talked at me about this. I’m not going to college. There’s nothing I can learn there that I can’t learn from books and it’s not like I could ever afford it anyway. Not to mention what would I even major in? Pretty sure they don’t offer a Bachelor’s degree on surviving in the gutter.” Marinette could see Selina’s eye twitch and she had a feeling this was a sensitive topic for both of them.

“If you get a degree you can most likely avoid the gutter.” She was speaking through clenched teeth but Syd just rolled her eyes.

“That’s an overly simplistic deduction. There are plenty of people who have degrees that end up homeless or in poverty. It’s just a piece of paper that means you studied or cheated your way through four years of bullshit. Practical, real world experience is far more useful. Send me to a trade school or something if you’re so set on this nonsense. At least then I’ll end up with a useful skill.” They both attempted to stare the other down while Marinette fidgeting nervously next to them. Finally Selina sighed.

“Either way, you’re going this week, if for no other reason than to look out for Marinette.” Marinette flinched. She was a problem again. Syd shouldn’t have to babysit her and the Waynes shouldn’t have to think about such things in addition to everything else. Why was she such a burden? She felt hands on her shoulders and blinked up into Syd’s concerned face.

“You know Selina’s just using you to guilt me into going right? It’s got nothing to do with you really. Honestly it’d make more sense for them to just get an extra pass for Chloe to go with you but this way it makes me do what they want.” Syd’s tone was completely serious but her eyes shone with laughter. Selina was glaring at her back and Marinette couldn’t stop the giggle that escaped. “I promise I’ll resent them for this travesty, not you.” Selina just rolled her eyes and walked away.

“You shouldn’t have to spend the week with me when you could be looking into things you’re actually interested in. I’m sure we won’t want to look at the same courses and clubs.” Syd just cocked her head with a confused look.

“I wasn’t kidding when I told Selina I have no interest in going in the first place. Being around you is likely to be the only pleasant thing about the entire week for me. I have no wish to be talked down to by grad students and professors who think I’m not good enough for their programs.” Marinette wanted to argue, but at the same time Syd knew this place and the people better than she did. When Syd said that everyone at the academy treated her differently she’d been right. Maybe the university was the same way.

“Well we have all week, maybe we could look at some things that interest you together.” She wasn’t really sure what to make of Syd’s expression, somewhere between a grimace and confusion. “I know you don’t want to go to school, but it could give you ideas on what to study on your own.” That at least got her to let out an amused huff.

“Maybe. Selina needs to be studying your negotiation tactics. Between you and Chloe I keep agreeing to things I never thought I would.” Marinette felt a stab of guilt.

“I didn’t mean to force you into anything! If you really don’t want to, I’ll be fine by myself, and if you don’t want to be Trixx’s holder-” Syd actually put a hand over her mouth to stop her rambling.

“I promise you that if I’m really against doing something you’ll know. No, this certainly wasn’t on my wish list but it’s just a glorified college tour. As to Trixx… they’re growing on me. Both figuratively and literally given that I’m pretty sure they’re now fused to my scalp.” The last was said in a dry tone that had Trixx grumbling while Marinette could only laugh.


	68. Unexpected Reunions

Luka frowned in thought as he walked through the gates of Gotham University. It was an honor to be chosen for this program and his focus should be here and on his future. Instead all he could think about was what had happened last night at the hotel restaurant.

“You’re allowing them far too much power over you. What’s done is done so there’s no sense dwelling on it.” He glanced over at Kagami. She hadn’t changed at all since he’d known her and he was glad they’d run into each other. Her stoic demeanor would have been far more comforting if her song weren’t agitated. He wasn’t the only one letting what happened get to him.

“I just wish I knew what was going on. I called Jules and she won’t discuss it. I tried calling Mari and Adrien, but the numbers I have are both disconnected. I tried calling the bakery but her father said she doesn’t live there anymore and not to call back. I should have stayed in contact better and I’m worried.” He hadn’t been back to Paris in almost two years but that was no excuse for losing touch. Maybe he should call his sister back and push harder.

“I wish I could help but when my mother decided that Paris had become an unacceptable influence she made me cut contact with everyone. She even went so far as to have someone shut down all my social media and didn’t let me have my own phone for over six months.” Luka shot her a confused glance.

“So let me get this straight. Your mother decided that Paris and its occupants were far too dangerous for you at fourteen, but now, at sixteen, thinks that it’s perfectly acceptable to send you to one of the most crime ridden cities in the world by yourself?” Kagami shrugged at him.

“Living in Paris was one thing. This is a week to prove that I can survive on my own in a hostile environment. Two completely separate circumstances.” She honestly didn’t sound like she believed what she was saying but he decided to let it go. There really wasn’t any point in arguing about it.

“So are you just here for survival training or are you actually looking at the University for education?” She shot him a bland look that said quite plainly she thought he was an idiot. Yep, it was always good to run into old friends.

“The school is adequate and will allow some… distance which appeals to me. If things go well this week I may try to talk my mother into letting me go to school here when she moves to New York. I’m at an age where asking for some independence isn’t considered an act of rebellion so she might allow it.” The fact that she wanted to move to a city where she’d be in constant danger said a lot about her relationship with her mother. “What about you? I would have thought you’d go straight to touring or something.”

“I want to come here for their business programs. Being at Juilliard the past two years has certainly been great for me musically, but I want to be as self sufficient as possible so I don’t get taken advantage of.” She hummed in agreement and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. It was nice being around someone who didn’t feel the need to fill the air with noise. Speaking of which… “Do you hear that?”

Kagami didn’t answer, just picked up her pace. As they got closer to the sound he realized it was exactly what he’d thought even as he tried to keep hope he was wrong. As they rounded the building he saw some of his sister’s classmates. The teacher chaperoning them was simply watching as Alya screamed at a girl he’d never seen before with the others standing there glaring. If he remembered right the ones present were Alya, Nino, Max, Kim, Alex, and Nathaniel.

“Luka look.” Kagami pointed at the girl being yelled at and it took him a minute to see another figure hiding behind them, doing everything in their power to make themselves smaller. He was moving before any type of rational thought could form, Kagami only a step behind. She stepped up to stand shoulder to shoulder with the girl being yelled at but Luka went for the smaller person, pulling them into a hug as they clung onto him, shaking.

“It’s okay Mari, we’ve got you.”

———————————————————–

Marinette only started coming back to herself when she heard Syd gekkering. She hadn’t even had the Miraculous twenty four hours and she was already picking up fox traits. Somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if Trixx was making it worse because Syd was facing off with Alya. She reached out to grab the back of the girls shirt to make sure she didn’t actually attack anyone and realized that Syd wasn’t the person she was clinging to. When she looked up she thought she was hallucinating.

“Luka?” He gave her a gentle smile and a nod. When she looked to Syd she saw Kagami glaring at her old classmates as well. What was going on? Maybe she finally had a mental break. It was the only thing that made sense.

“You should all be ashamed of yourselves, protecting a terrorist and a bully!” Alya’s shout caused tears to spring to her eyes. She fully expected Luka to push her away but his grip actually tightened. She buried her head in his chest wishing it would all go away.

“The only bully I see here is you. We were minding our own business when you decided to come over here screaming like a banshee and trying to assault my friend. Now I suggest you all walk away before I’m forced to drastic measures.” Syd’s voice was cold and terrifying. Marinette was grateful when she reached back to the hand clinging to her shirt to offer a comforting squeeze. She might be pissed but she wasn’t irrational.

“You don’t know anything! That girl deserves far worse than anything I could do to her. She should be in prison with all the other criminals.” Mari saw Kagami and Syd tense but before either could do anything foolish a new voice boomed in the courtyard.

“That’s enough!” She glanced past Luka to see Bruce and Selina standing there looking livid. She shrunk in on herself as they glared at everyone. “There had better be an extremely good reason for you yelling at and threatening my daughter.” His voice carried pure rage but when his gaze found her she saw his eyes soften and he held out his arms slightly. That was all it took for her to detach from Luka and run to him for a hug. She felt his arms wrap around her and Selina’s hand running soothing fingers over her scalp and blocked out everything else.


	69. Missing Pieces

Luka could only look on in shock as the two adults he’d never seen before comforted Mari. When he shot a questioning look at Kagami her expression was just as confused and she mouthed the word ‘daughter’ at him with a raised eyebrow. He could only shrug back at her.

“She is not your daughter. We all know her parents and they’re not you.” He could only sigh as Alya continued her commentary. The rest of the class nodded and made noises of agreement behind her. “She also shouldn’t be here, someone must have failed to do their research into her background because I’m sure Bruce Wayne would be appalled to learn that a terrorist was allowed on this campus.” The woman comforting Mari and the girl still standing next to Kagami rolled their eyes in tandem.

“Hearing you of all people claim someone else didn’t do their research is laughable. Not to mention the only one that shouldn’t be here is you Mlle. Cesaire since I’m certain your application to this program was denied.” The man’s song held contempt and rage but every time Mari started shaking it would calm and gain notes of concern. Well whatever was going on he liked these people.

“She’s here as my student aide and I won’t allow you to talk to her like that.” Luka saw everyone outside the class look at the woman like she was insane.

“So you’ll condone children in your care bullying someone else but won’t stand for them being called out for their behavior?” The woman that was still soothing Mariette looked to be on the verge of violence. The teacher gave her a condescending look.

“You don’t understand the situation. Marinette should know better than to stir up trouble.” He had a feeling the teacher would be bleeding on the floor if Mari hadn’t chosen that moment to latch onto the other woman. As it was Kagami and the other girl looked like they were seconds away from lunging at her themselves.

“Syd, tell me what happened.” The girl next to Kagami was concentrating on the class and making that weird stuttering noise again when the man addressed her. “Miss Mathis.” She frowned at him for a moment before responding.

“Alfred dropped us off and we were heading to the orientation when all of a sudden this rabid troglodyte and her swarm rushed us and started yelling. She also tried to grab and slap Mari multiple times and is lucky all her body parts are still intact.” Kagami’s mouth twitched upward as Alya let out an outraged yell.

“What did you call me?” Syd just gave her a flat look.

“A troglodyte. Would you like me to spell it for you so you can look it up later and be properly insulted?” Luka realized the girl wasn’t just saying things because she was upset. Yes she was angry, just like the adults, but she was purposely baiting Alya for some reason. Judging from her song it wasn’t just to annoy her.

“How dare you talk to her that way! I’m going to speak with the organizers and have you all thrown out. I’ll get a hold of Bruce Wayne himself if I have to.” Luka could only frown at the woman. All this drama was terrible for Mari and he doubted anyone would take her seriously anyway. Before he could try and calm things down the man still hugging Mari spoke.

“Well there’s no need to go out of your way for that since I’m already here.” Luka shared a look with Kagami who just gave him a helpless shrug. Given she’d been all but adopted by Jagged Stone after making a pair of glasses this certainly seemed like something that would happen to Marinette.

“You’re not Bruce Wayne.” Luka could only shake his head at Alya’s combative tone. It was bad enough she thought someone would lie about that in Gotham where it could be easily disproved.

“I suggest you call campus security then so we can sort things out.” Mr. Wayne’s smile was all fake politeness but the chill coming off it was rather impressive. He turned to study Luka and Kagami and he couldn’t help but stiffen up as if expecting a blow. Kagami defaulted to her calm demeanor but there was still tension around her eyes and mouth that said she didn’t like that searching look any more than he did. “Syd, do you know these two?”

“No, but I’m pretty sure Mari does. He grabbed her in the middle of a panic attack and she didn’t react violently so I’d say they aren’t currently a threat.” The girl wasn’t even looking at them. All of her attention was on the class, specifically Alya.

“Syd.” The woman who was still trying to calm Mari was giving the girl an exasperated look and there was a warning in her tone.

“Selina.” Syd mocked the tone perfectly and Luka had to struggle not to laugh. “Better all that unhealthy antagonism is aimed at me for the time being don’t you think?” She glanced pointedly at Mari who was still clinging to both adults. So that’s why she’d been going after Alya, at least partly. Luka had the distinct impression that she was trying to get Alya to attack her in front of witnesses but he wouldn’t swear to it.

After that things devolved into a tense silence as everyone waited for security to show up. Luka had a feeling it would have been much faster had Mr. Wayne been the one to call them, but he understood why they had the teacher do it. Knowing Alya she’d claim there were actors or some other nonsense rather than actually security. Syd spent the entire time glaring at various people and making faces at Alya whenever the girl happened to look her way. Was it juvenile? Yes, but it was still incredibly entertaining.


	70. Finding Calm

As Kagami surveyed the battlefield and took in the opposing sides it was obvious who was going to win. Even discounting her and Luka the slaughter was imminent. The fact that the opposing forces were over confident and completely inept simply made them even more pathetic. Normally such a display would just be a waste of time but, as always, Marinette made everything different. Since Syd was keeping the idiots in her sights, Kagami let her attention shift to the girl in question and was extremely concerned with what she saw.

When Mari’s classmates had told her and Luka about all the ‘terrible’ things Marinette had done she’d simply rolled her eyes and stopped listening. Anyone who would believe the garbage they were spewing wasn’t worth the effort. She hadn’t considered what them believing such tripe would mean for Mari herself. Kagami had never been one to let others affect her but she should have considered Mari’s personality.

Watching Mari clinging to Bruce Wayne in such an obvious display of weakness should have caused contempt but all she felt was concern. Well that and anger at everyone who had a hand in causing this. She also had to wonder if she should be angry at herself as well. Yes her mother had pulled her out of Paris, but she hadn’t fought her at all.

When campus security did arrive they were tripping over themselves to make sure they didn’t offend ‘the Bruce Wayne’. It was an embarrassing display, though not nearly as much as Alya insisting that he wasn’t actually Bruce Wayne to begin with. They were in the middle of a rather heated debate when Selina called to Syd.

“Why don’t you take Mari somewhere so she can calm down. All this noise isn’t helping.” Mr. Wayne had left Mari with Selina to deal with the class and while she’d stopped shaking she obviously was still extremely distressed.

“Sure. Want to go to the amphitheater and I’ll play something for you?” Kagami watched Syd go from murderous intent to concerned friend in an instant. Mari actually peeked at the girl from the safety of Selina’s arms.

“Can Luka and Kagami come too?” Marinette’s tone set Kagami’s teeth on edge. She sounded hopeful but also extremely timid and uncertain. She really didn’t like that sound. Syd just offered an encouraging smile.

“Of course, the more the better. I always perform better for an audience.” Mari actually giggled in response and when Syd held out a hand she took it immediately. When Syd looked at Kagami and Luka there was a clear warning in her eyes. They both nodded in understanding and Kagami’s opinion of the girl went up. This one was a force to be reckoned with. The further they got from the class, the more relaxed Mari became. She still seemed to have a death grip on Syd’s hand but the rest of her posture changed dramatically.

“I hope Dad isn’t too hard on them. They don’t know any better.” Syd stopped and looked at Mari like she’d lost her mind. Honestly Kagami thought it was appropriate. She looked at Luka and he mouthed the word ‘Dad’ at her with an amused look.

“You’re kidding right? Let’s forget for a moment that idiot was actually arguing with Bruce about who he was, she tried to hit you Mari. If she doesn’t know that’s wrong then she deserves whatever she has coming. That teacher should be arrested just for standing by while all of that happened as well.” Mari didn’t seem to know how to respond to that.

“She’s right you know. I don’t know what happened in Paris but there is no excuse for what she was doing. Her song has changed so much since the last time I saw them, they all have, and not for the better. You don’t deserve to have to deal with that.” Luka’s words brought tears to Mari’s eyes and she latched onto him for a hug. Syd was eyeing him with a thoughtful frown but Kagami couldn’t get a hint of what she was thinking.

“I’m glad you guys don’t hate me too.” Mari’s voice cracked on the last word and Kagami was tempted to go back and beat some sense into those imbeciles. At least until Syd cleared her throat and gave a pointed look to Mari. Kagami frowned at her not seeing what she was getting at. Syd rolled her eyes and proceeded to shove Kagami at Mari. She stumbled but then Mari grabbed her in a hug. Ahh, that made sense. She always forgot how tactile other people could be.

“We could never hate you Mari. I don’t know what those halfwits ingested to become so lost to reality but I can assure you we don’t suffer from the same insanity.” Mari just giggled and hugged her tighter. She was way too strong for her size and way too thin given the bones Kagami could feel. Luka’s concerned gaze was on Mari’s back but she noticed Syd was watching them. The way she was analyzing them once again made Kagami think she’d be a formidable opponent. When their eyes met she could also see how dangerous she was.

“Come on, we should get you fully calmed down before Adrien and Chloe get here. She’s likely to fire bomb the campus to erase those morons if she sees you still upset.” Mari laughed for a moment until she stiffened up and spun around.

“Wait, they’re coming now?!”

“Of course they are. You didn’t honestly think they’d hear about this and stay away did you?” Syd sounded amused.

“How did they hear about it in the first place?”

“You know I value you as a friend but if Chloe found out about this from someone other than me and knew I was there, she’d kill me. I like you, I just don’t like you that much.” Kagami watched the stare at each other for a moment before they both burst out laughing.


	71. An Unwanted Guest

Syd led them to the amphitheater while Marinette had Luka and Kagami on either side of her. She knew they both had to be wondering what exactly was going on. Luka would wait for her to talk, he always had, but Kagami’s silence meant she was either putting questions together in her head still, or she didn’t trust Syd enough to ask while she was there. Marinette would be willing to bet on the second.

When they got to the stage Syd began pulling out her computer, speaker and some other things that Marinette wasn’t certain what they were. When she pulled out the violin Luka and Kagami both looked surprised. Given Syd’s manner of dress and the fact that she still had bruises all over her face from the fight last week she could understand their reactions. She wasn’t what most people would consider a violinist.

“Alright, I’m going to play you something new I’ve been working on. I need you to be honest with me about what you think.” Syd leveled a stern look at her. “If the music is bad or I’m not entertaining enough I don’t eat so don’t just tell me it’s good to placate me.” Marinette fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“I’ve never heard you play anything that sounded bad but if you’re that worried ask them.” She pointed at her two friends. “Luka’s been at Juilliard for two years and Kagami’s even more blunt than Damian normally.” Syd gave them each a once over before nodding. For her part Marinette watched her friends. She wanted to see their expression when Syd started playing.

When she hit play on the computer and a heavy bass beat started Kagami just frowned in confusion. Mari had a feeling her mother still didn’t let her listen to popular music let alone anything labeled experimental. When Syd actually started playing her eyes widened in surprise. Luka was harder to read but she could see him making motions like he was fingering his guitar so he was certainly into it.

The music itself was fast, showing off exactly how quick Syd was with her fingers, and sounded heavily influenced by a mix of hard rock and some musicals. It wasn’t a combination many people would try but for some reason it worked. Watching her do an obviously choreographed routine with it just added to the effect. Watching her do a one armed handstand while her violin and bow were in the other showed exactly how athletic she was even if she didn’t look it. Suddenly her being able to take on multiple grown men made a lot more sense.

A crowd started gathering as she continued to play and Syd’s motions became more exaggerated to be more visible. Her stage presence was incredible. Mari caught Luka eyeing the crowd and their reactions and Kagami was focused on Syd’s movements. Both were obviously impressed. When the song was over there was a loud round of applause and Syd gave a bow. She opened her mouth to speak but suddenly they all heard gunshots. Mari’s breath caught when she realized they were coming from where they’d left the others.

“You two follow the crowd to one of the shelters.” Syd had to yell to be heard over the chaos as she shoved everything back in her bag.

“What about you and Mari?” Kagaim’s tone made it obvious she didn’t trust Syd.

“The last thing she needs is to be locked in a cramped space with a bunch of strangers. I need to take her someone isolated so she won’t have a panic attack and I can find a space a lot easier if it’s just the two of us.” Mari caught the look Kagami and Luka shared and jumped in before they could argue.

“Syd’s right and I trust her. We’ll be safe I promise. Now you two go.” She shoved them towards the buildings the crowd seemed to be heading to. Both looked worried but she waved them on. Neither looked happy about it but they did go. Syd grabbed her hand and started running at a different group of buildings. “That was impressive. I never got the hang of finding decent cover stories to get away and transform.” She had to stop herself from spiraling at the thought that those stories are a big part of what led to her parents not trusting her.

“It’s always helpful to have some truth to things to make them believable.” That was the only comment Syd made as she looked for some place isolated enough for them to transform and head back to the clearing.

————————————————–

Bruce was cursing internally in every language he knew. Of course the Joker would show up today of all days. Now he and Selina were trapped here in their civilian forms as his henchmen rounded up as many people as possible. When he saw the two that had left with Mari and Syd he felt his heart stop. They headed straight for him as the crowd was pushed together on the lawn.

“Where’s Marinette?” He kept his voice low, watching to make sure the Joker wasn’t paying attention. He didn’t need that psychopath knowing about her.

“Syd took her somewhere else because she was worried Mari would panic in such a small space with so many people.” He let out a relieved breath. He just hoped they didn’t do anything foolish.

“Bruce Wayne, how good to see you here! I was just hoping to introduce myself to your newest kid but this is even better.” He shared a look with Selina and saw his surprise mirrored back at him. How had he even found out about Marinette so fast? “I’ve heard she’s quite damaged and I couldn’t resist seeing if she’d be a good replacement for Harley.” It took every bit of self restraint he had to not go for the man’s throat and he did have to grab hold of both Selina and Kagami to keep them from the same.

“Sorry to disappoint but she decided not to come for this event.” The Joker scowled in annoyance before looking past them. His eyes lit up with glee.

“Oh really, then who is this?” Bruce turned to see two of Joker’s goons with Marinette between them. Shit.


	72. The Joker

As Mari got closer he could tell something was off. Luka was frowning at her as well so he didn’t think it was his imagination. The way she moved was wrong and when she got close the girl gave him a very not Marinette like wink. What the hell?

“So this is the newest Wayne! Can’t say I’m impressed.” The girl rolled her eyes. Definitely not Marinette.

“This from the man who had to hold an entire campus hostage to get to one girl. Honestly, all this does is make it so everyone knows exactly where you are so the Bats can take you down, again.” Selina sucked in a sharp breath as the Joker reached for the girl.

“How dare you, you little-” He cut off the second he touched her as the person changed from Marinette to what he assumed was Syd in her transformation. “What the hell are you supposed to be?” She gave him a cheeky grin and a bow.

“Fennec Fiddler at your service.” Bruce mentally groaned at the name, but it did fit. Her ears were large just like a fennec fox even if her coloring was more of a dusky brown and gray. Her outfit seemed to be jeans, a tee-shirt, and a tactical vest. When he looked at her feet it took him a moment to realize they were actually paws rather than shoes and she had the same extra joints in her legs that Bad Karma did. Her tail swished back and forth lazily and looked like the tip had been dipped in black ink. She had a quiver on either hip filled with different color violin bows. Her actual weapon looked like an electric violin. One of the ones that basically looked like a fret-board since it didn’t have a body.

“You must be one of those weirdos I’ve heard about running with the Bat.” Fennec raised an eyebrow at him.

“I really don’t think you’re in any position to be calling other people weirdos.” Bruce couldn’t tell if she was baiting him for a reason or just couldn’t help herself. Either way there were way to many guns and way too many innocent people around to let it continue. He opened his mouth to intervene when Kagami actually nudged him in the side. When he looked down at her she pointed to the roof of a nearby building and he saw all his kids except Marinette suited up. He really hoped they had a plan.

“You’re a mouthy one aren’t you? I’ll tell you what, I’m feeling generous today so just give up the girl and I’ll forget how rude you’re being.” His tone was patronizing at best. Fennec rolled her eyes.

“Not going to happen chuckles.” One of the henchmen had to cough to cover a laugh and the Joker went from creepy cheerful to insanely terrifying in an instant.

“Well then I guess I’ll just have to start killing hostages one by one until I get what I want. I think I’ll start with the fiance just to see if Mr. Wayne here values his children or his whore the most.” Bruce expected Fennec to lunge at him for that comment but she just stood there with a smug grin on her face.

“That’s not going to happen either.” Before he could respond a shield formed around all the hostages, forcing all of Joker’s goons out to the edge. Bruce looked up and saw Crimson Bat at the top of the shield. Her suit looked almost exactly the same except if you looked closely you could see a turtle shell pattern seemingly embedded into it. He looked back forward just in time to see the Joker try to raise his gun at Fennec. She jammed her weapon into his stomach before making a sharp motion upwards at his jaw. He dropped immediately. She turned and he watched as her weapon seemed to split in half and open, almost as if on a hinge, until it resembled a compound bow. She immediately started drawing the violin bows out of the quivers and using them like arrows.

At the same time Crimson Bat dropped to the ground with Robin on her back followed immediately by Bad Karma carrying Red Robin, and Bee dropping Red Hood and Nightwing next to them before landing next to Fennec herself. As he watched them all fight he was surprised at how well they worked together. Crimson and Bad Karma spent a lot of time blocking bullets aimed at the others while Robin and Red Hood protected their sisters back and Red Robin and Nightwing did the same for Bad Karma. They had things pretty well in hand when Poison Ivy and Harley showed up. They were both pissed beyond belief and soon all Joker’s men were tangled in vines, unconscious, or both. Once they were, the shield disappeared and Harley was next to Selina in an instant.

“We heard what he was planning through an old contact. He didn’t get to her did he?” She sounded near frantic and Selina put a comforting hand on her arm.

“No he didn’t lay a hand on her I promise. She’s safe and sound.” Both the other Sirens let out relieved sighs, but the Joker chose that moment to regain consciousness. His confusion was quickly replaced by annoyance and Bruce was too far away to do anything when the man pulled out something that looked like a detonator. When he pushed the button, the fountain in the middle of the courtyard crumbled to reveal a bomb. With a timer set for two minutes.

“Now we’ll see who has the last laugh! Once that goes off this entire campus will be nothing but a crater.” He was laughing hysterically and Crimson Bat ran up to Nightwing.

“That’s not enough time for me to recharge and put up another shield, do you have any ideas?” She sounded a bit frantic and Bruce wasn’t surprised. She and the others with Miraculous would likely survive the blast, the rest of them wouldn’t. The Joker’s laughter cut off sharply.

“What’s she doing?” Bruce turned to see Fennec with some sort of orange field surrounding her and the bomb. When he looked at Crimson she was frowning before her eyes widened.

“Fennec no!”

Then the bomb went off.


	73. Fallout

Bruce watched as the field around Fennec stopped the bomb from going further. It seemed like whatever the girl did, it had worked. Before he could even manage a sigh of relief the field seemed to pop and Fennec shot skyward along with debris from the bomb. Crimson took off with enough force that everyone within ten feet of her fell to the ground and Bee was only a second behind her.

Crimson flew directly under the girl, catching her on her back as she lost momentum. Bee was above them making sure Fennec didn’t fall off or hamper Crimson’s movement. When they landed Bad Karma was there instantly to help place her on the ground. When he and Selina made it to them he could see blood coming from her mouth, nose and real ears.

“Cast the cure already!” Bee’s hushed demand caused Crimson to shake her head.

“She wasn’t injured by a Miraculous. If I cast the cure it will either do nothing or make it so she didn’t shield the bomb, which means that a lot of other people will be injured or dead.” Bruce could see her thinking as she studied the unconscious girl.

“So what, you’re just going to let her die?” Crimson leveled Bee with a flat expression, causing the other girl to look away.

“No I’m not.” Seeing her so certain and confident was strange but Bruce was honestly just happy that Bee yelling at her didn’t trigger a spiral. “I need Bee, Bad Karma, Red Hood, Nightwing, Poison Ivy, Luka, and Kagami. Now.” The others all came forward immediately but Ivy looked like she was going to argue until Selina whispered something to her. He had a fairly good guess at what given the shock on her face.

“If Ivy goes, I go.” Crimson just nodded absently at Harley’s assertion as she directed Bee and Bad Karma to pick Fennec up. He had to wonder why Luka and Kagami seemed fine with this whole thing but that was going to be a question for later.

“You should just let her die. She’s nothing but an impostor.” Alya was lucky that Bee was holding Fennec. She however was very unfortunate in the fact that Ivy heard her. Before anyone else could respond the girl was encased in vines. He could hear muffled yelling but could make out actual words.

“She’s not in any real danger is she? I can’t really allow a minor to die on university property just because she has a big mouth and a tiny brain.” Selina started choking on air next to him but Harley just burst out laughing. He would be slightly more annoyed with Ivy if not for the fact that the girl was still arguing with him about who he was until the Joker showed up.

“She’ll be fine. It might give her some time to think if you leave her in there for awhile though.” Bruce just let out a thoughtful hum.

“Well given that I know she’s not injured the police and paramedics have a lot of other priorities to attend to I don’t see her getting out of there for a few hours at least.” As he finished speaking a portal opened into what looked like part of the garden at Wayne Manor.

“I’m going to go with them since you’ll need to stay here and deal with all this.” Selina had leaned in to whisper before stepping through the portal as it closed. Great, this should be fun.

——————————————————————————————————-

Selina watched Bee and Bad Karma gently place Fennec on the ground at the Mini Bat’s direction. She had no idea what the girl was planning.

“Uhh… why are we here?” Red Hood and Nightwing were both doing their best to pretend they didn’t know exactly where they were. It was cute to be honest.

“This is the only place I could think of that had the privacy I need but will still allow the Kwami to use Ivy as a conduit to draw energy from the earth.” Crimson said it as though it should be obvious. As if they had any idea what she was planning. The other two Miraculous holders just shrugged at each other and Kagami and Luka also seemed to be taking everything in stride. Apparently this was just how Mari worked.

“A conduit to do what exactly?” Ivy sounded more than a little annoyed and Crimson seemed to finally come out of her head.

“In order to heal her I need to draw energy from more than just myself, especially as badly injured as she is. Right now Trixx and her transformation are the only thing keeping her alive. I’ll be drawing energy from everyone here but you have a unique connection to nature that the Kwami can utilize to expand that source. It won’t hurt you or nature in any way. It will just allow me to not worry about drawing too much from everyone else.” Ivy was looking at her dubiously but one glance at Fennec and she folded.

“What do you need me to do?” Crimson just offered her a bright smile before kneeling above Fennec’s head.

“Ivy, I need you across from me. Luka and Kagami on either side of her. Red Hood and Nightwing on opposite sides at her waist. Bee and Karma on either side of me.” Everyone took their spots and she let out a deep breath. “You two need to detransform.” Just about everyone looked shocked.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Karma was eyeing Harley and Ivy when he spoke but Crimson just nodded absently. He still looked uncertain.

“Just do it catboy.” Chloe let her transformation fall as she spoke and Selina could see how worried she was. As much as they trusted Mari it couldn’t counteract the fact that Syd was lying there on the brink of death. Adrien sighed and followed course. Both their Kwami grabbed food from them and settled on their heads. Crimson took a couple of deep breaths before doing the same. When she did though it seemed like all the Kwami suddenly appeared. Tikki settled on Fennec’s chest while Wayzz went to perch on Red Hood’s head. Other’s detached themselves to fly at the other’s present. One that looked like a monkey settled on Nightwing while two serpent looking one’s went to Luka and Kagami. Two went for Ivy, a pig and a sheep maybe, and perched on her shoulders. The rest dispersed themselves around Fennec. Marinette cupped Fennec’s head in her hands and closed her eyes. All the Kwami slowly began to glow.

“It’s alright Trixx. You can let go, we’ve got her.” The words were soft and Selina wasn’t honestly sure she meant to say them out loud but the moment she did Syd’s transformation dropped and Trixx curled up under her chin. The creature was crying inconsolably. Nearly everyone gasped as they got a good look at Syd. Her suit apparently hadn’t protected her from the shrapnel and there were holes all over her body. Selina thought it was strange that her civilian clothes had been damaged as well but didn’t dwell on it. Her left leg was obviously broken just below the knee and her right wrist was also at an angle it shouldn’t be. She could only imagine the internal damage.

“You should all get comfortable. This is going to take quite a while.” Wayzz spoke from his spot on Red Hoods head and pretty much everyone shared looks of worry.


	74. Complications and Promises

There was a strained silence as everyone sat and waited. Selina could feel how tense Harley was beside her. This was getting ridiculous. Just as she was going to ask what Marinette was doing she saw movement under the skin on Syd’s arm. She watched as a piece of shrapnel worked its way out of her arm and the wound scabbed over looking days old. The closest Kwami flew over to grab the object before placing it next to Mari. One down and possibly hundreds to go. No wonder Wayzz said it would take a while.

“You can talk if you want. It’s nearly impossible to disturb the Guardian at this point. The ones she’s drawing energy from just need to stay close and roughly in the same positions.” Plagg’s words diffused a bit of the tension. A very little bit but it was something.

“How did this even happen? I don’t care how strong that bomb was, it shouldn’t have been able to penetrate her transformation.” Chloe sounded both threatening and close to tears. Trixx whimpered from under Syd’s chin and the girl softened her tone. “I’m not blaming you Trixx I just want to understand.” Plagg was the one that answered.

“The shield she created, and she shouldn’t have been able to do that at all by the way, but she used the energy from her transformation which weakened the protection of her actual suit. She would have been fine if she’d been outside the energy field, but there was no way for Trixx to warn her.” Selina watched Adrien and Chloe share a look while Wayzz glared at Plagg.

“What do you mean she shouldn’t have been able to?” When Plagg tried to respond to Adrien’s question, Wayzz jumped in.

“We all agreed not to tell them Plagg. Even you.” Plagg hissed at the other Kwami.

“No we didn’t. Fu forbade us from telling them originally. When we decided to make the Bug our Guardian Tikki and I agreed, against our better judgement, to wait until Marinette was older to tell her because we didn’t think it would be an issue.” They gestured angrily to Syd’s unconscious form. “It’s officially an issue.”

“That doesn’t mean you should just go ahead and tell all of them.”

“They need to know. Especially those two.” Plagg pointed to Marinette and Syd. “It was one thing when we thought Tikki’s Bug was the only one that could do this but how do we know they all won’t develop the ability?” The two Kwami glared at each other before Wayzz looked away and sighed.

“So what exactly did you agree not to tell us?” Everyone started at Marinette’s voice. She hadn’t moved at all and she still seemed fully focused on Syd. Wayzz and Plagg shared a confused look before Plagg answered.

“All six of you,” they included Luka and Kagami with a gesture and suddenly Selina understood why they were so calm. “Tap into powers you shouldn’t have access to. That in itself is strange but it has happened before. Marinette and Syd however, are both apparently able to tap into powers of other Kwami. We assumed that when the Bug did it that ability was unique to her. We were wrong.” No one seemed to know how to react to that.

“I don’t remember Mari doing anything that seemed like tapping into power from a different Kwami.” Adrien seemed to be voicing his confusion out loud rather than asking a question.

“Plagg don’t you dare.” Wayzz’s warning just seemed to spur the other creature on. Plagg did hesitate though.

“Tikki’s cure can’t bring back the dead. Our best guess is that she tapped into Fluff’s powers and grabbed them from the timeline right before they died. We’re not entirely certain but it seems the most likely option. If that’s true then it may have upset the balance and could be partly why your civilian lives all went to hell. But that’s on Fu since he decided he didn’t need to find Hawkmoth since there wasn’t any permanent damage.” The last was said in a tone of cold fury. Selina hadn’t even met the man and she wanted to kill him.

“What the hell does he mean bring back the dead? Selina what is going on?” Harley hissed the questions at her in a tone not meant to be heard by the others. Selina just sighed and pulled her further away from the group.

“Short version? Marinette was a hero in Paris. Her most noticeable power was to reverse the damage done by the villain and until now everyone thought that included reversing death when it happened.” She watched Harley’s eye twitch as she processed the information.

“And this asshole just let a kid do all this?”

“Not just one kid, but in spirit, yes.” The twitch became more pronounced.

“Selina, promise me something?” She eyed Harley, trying to gauge her mood and the likelihood of her asking something Selina could actually agree to.

“Promise what exactly?”

“That if that bastard ever comes to Gotham, you’ll let us know.” Selina had to fight not to grin. That did sound like something the Sirens should take care of. When she looked back to see the growing pile of shrapnel being pulled out of Syd’s body she decided it was definitely something they should do.

“Promise.”


	75. Waiting

It had been two hours since they came through the portal and the pile of debris next to Marinette had grown steadily. Chloe had stopped feeling nauseous about an hour in and now she just felt drained as she watched. She didn’t think the feeling was due to Mari channeling energy from them either. Poison Ivy had been nice enough to make them all chairs or lounges out of vines as well as prop up Mari since no one wanted to risk moving her or Syd.

“Who is that?” Kagami’s question caused her to look behind and she saw Alfred and Damian walking towards them with food and drinks.

“Friends.” She answered automatically before returning her focus to Mari and Syd. It wasn’t a threat and nothing short of that was going to pull her focus from what mattered. She was vaguely aware of Alfred handing out sandwiches and water while Damian gave each Kwami their preferred food.There was a mild curiosity as to how he knew which got what but again, it wasn’t enough of a reason to pull her focus as another twisted piece of metal made its way out of Syd’s chest.

“Miss Chloe, you need to eat something.” Alfred’s voice pulled her attention and when she looked up just about everyone was looking at her with concern. She just scowled at them.

“I’m fine. Leave the food if you want but I’m not hungry.”

——————————————————

Adrien reached around Mari to grip Chloe’s shoulder both as a comfort and to try and get her to calm down. She was terrible at coping with strong emotions and while he was used to dealing with the way she lashed out, no one else besides Mari was. She just shrugged his hand off and he could only offer apologetic glances to everyone else.

He knew what Chloe’s real issue was right now and no one else here would understand. They’d been heroes for years and had seen a lot of things, including almost everyone they knew dying at least once. The difference was that Mari could always fix it. They’d never had to sit and wait and hope things would turn out alright. They’d never had to focus on maybes or what ifs. Now they were having to watch someone they knew as Mari fought to keep them alive and Chloe had no frame of reference to handle that. Even when he had been attacked, there hadn’t been a chance of him dying and by the time she got to the hospital he’d been awake and responsive. Chloe was going to be a nightmare to deal with until Syd was back to full strength.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” He was startled by the voice and turned to see Wonder Woman in civilian attire. Plagg hissed at her and she just rolled her eyes. Before anyone else could respond Marinette spoke.

“You can switch out with Nightwing.” Everyone shared looks before the two did as Mari asked. Kaalki flew to her head as Xuppu moved to their spot next to Syd.

“Why are you even here?” Adrien could only sigh at Chloe’s combative tone. As much as he disliked the way the woman treated Mari originally it wasn’t a good idea to antagonize her.

“I saw what happened on the news and I’m a much better source of energy than the rest of you. Well except her.” She pointed to Ivy who was glaring at her with even more animosity than Chloe. He supposed it was to be expected given they were on opposite sides of the law.

“Everyone needs to be focused on Syd not grudges with each other.” The reprimand from Tikki startled everyone. “Any negative energy could impact the process and make it harder for Mari to use.” Chloe and Ivy both guiltily turned their attention back to Syd, Chloe wouldn’t even look up after that. Wonder Woman was just frowning at the Kwami. “That goes for you too Diana. I don’t care how much you disagree with my decisions, if you can’t set aside your annoyance at Plagg and me you need to leave.”

She seemed to be on the verge of arguing but looked up to see everyone not having energy drawn from or through them glaring at her and gave a resigned sigh. Adrien could only let out a relieved breath as she seemed to settle in to help. He didn’t know or understand why she had such an issue with the Kwami. He’d asked Plagg and the Kwami of Destruction had just broken into hysterical giggling rather than answer. While he didn’t think the Amazon was right to be upset with Tikki he had a feeling Plagg had been pretty horrible to her at one point or another.

Another hour passed in mostly silence. Harley had moved to sit with Ivy while Selina seemed to be trying to keep Chloe calm. Both she and Pollen had been whispering things to her when she got too tense. Alfred and Nightwing had left but Damian stayed to continue supplying the Kwami with snacks. Suddenly Chloe let out a string of curses that startled everyone.

“Mari you have to stop.” Everyone looked confused for a moment but when Adrien followed Chloe’s line of sight he saw blood coming from Mari’s nose and left ear. Wayzz flew to Marinette to try and get her attention while Plagg went for Tikki.

“Just a bit more.” Mari’s mumbled words were barely audible but he heard them. When he looked back at Syd he couldn’t see any more holes that hadn’t been sealed but almost threw up when he saw both her broken leg and wrist seemingly set themselves with a pop. It was a very good thing the girl was still unconscious. Mari finally let go of Syd and let out a tired sigh.

“I fixed everything life threatening or anything she wouldn’t have been able to heal from with time. Her leg and wrist will both need casts but the bones are set. All her ribs are either fractured or bruised but I fixed any actual breaks and all the internal bleeding from the impact and the shrapnel. It won’t be a quick recovery, but she won’t have any long term effects.” She sounded exhausted and he and Chloe both immediately wrapped her in a hug. When she opened her eyes the left one looked like it had burst all the blood vessels.

“You did too much. You could have had a stroke or an aneurysm if you’d gone any longer.” Diana’s words caused him to suck in a sharp breath. As much as he wanted to scold Mari for endangering herself he knew it wouldn’t do any good. She felt responsible for all of them and there’s no way she would have let Syd die or have permanent problems when she felt like it was her fault the girl got hurt in the first place. No matter how irrational that was.

“She’s right Mari, you’re no good to anyone if you kill yourself.” Tikki sounded just as tired but smiled at Damian when he handed her some cookies. Diana honestly looked shocked that the Kwami agreed with her about something. “But you did a great job.”


	76. BatDad

Marinette woke slowly. Her mind felt jumbled and her confusion only increased when she opened her eyes and rather than a ceiling she saw stone high above her. Why was she in the Batcave? The last thing she remembered was feeling so tired and having Adrien and Chloe arguing with Selina over who should carry her to the house, even though she insisted she could walk. Apparently she’d been wrong.

She looked over and saw Chloe on a cot between her and Syd. Alfred must have put her casts on, as well as some bandages. Maybe once she’d rested she could try to finish healing Syd’s wrist at least so she could still play. Looking further she saw Harley and Ivy asleep on what looked like a bed of moss. Wait, they shouldn’t be here, should they? She moved to get up but a hand stopped her.

“Not so fast. Tikki said you need at least a couple more hours of rest.” She looked over to see Bruce in civilian clothes. Had she accidentally outed them to the Rogues? He must have caught her confused look.

“Harley and Ivy have known who we are for a little over a year now. I just didn’t tell the boys because I didn’t want them to relax and slip in front of more than just those two. They are already far too loose with chatter over the comms.” She gave a weak smile at that. It was something she’d noticed. The way they baited each other was a lot like the way Chloe and Adrien acted when they weren’t suited up. She’d thankfully broken them of doing so as heroes, for the most part.

“Sorry for leaving you all at the university. I would have waited if I could.” He actually rolled his eyes at her.

“Everything was already taken care of except we’re going to have to introduce you four to Commissioner Gordon at some point.” She supposed she should have expected that. The police in Paris hadn’t been willing to work with them so she’d gotten used to ignoring them. Here it was different.

“Gordon?” She felt like she should know that name but the thought wouldn’t solidify.

“Barbara’s father. But don’t worry, he’s far more open minded than you’re used to from what Chloe said.” Marinette winced at the reminder. Chloe had tried everything to get the police to work with them, including threats from the Mayor’s office. To say she was not happy with her lack of results was an understatement.

“That’s good to hear. I doubt Syd will be ready to go out again soon unless I heal her some more but the rest of us can go.” She moved to get up again and was pushed back down. Oh, right.

“You need more sleep. If you’re hungry I can have Alfred bring something but you’re on bed rest until Tikki says otherwise. You really scared everyone.” She just blinked at him in confusion.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry anyone. But I feel fine.” Well other than still being tired and for some reason her left eye felt really itchy.

“Marinette, from what the others tell me you pushed yourself too far. You were bleeding out of your nose and ear from ruptured blood vessels and your eye still looks like you were possessed. For everyone’s peace of mind, please just rest alright?” She felt tears gathering and wasn’t sure if it was from guilt at concerning everyone or gratitude that he didn’t seem to be mad at her.

“Where are Luka and Kagami? I’m sorry I just dropped them on you without warning but I needed people who resonated well with some of the Kwami and I didn’t have time to figure out anyone else.” She’d honestly just guessed with Dick and Jason and hoped for the best. She should have known Xuppu would be the one that was most in tune with Dick.

“They’re upstairs with the boys and Adrien. I’m fairly certain Damian insisted on fencing with Miss Tsurugi but I’m not sure if they did or not.” He sounded exasperated and Marinette giggled.

“It’s the only way he knows to judge a person. His entire life until he came here it was the only measure of worth that mattered. He’s not just doing it to show off, he really doesn’t know any other way to greet people.” Bruce blinked down at her in shock. Was she not supposed to know that?

“He actually talked to you about his past?” She hesitated.

“Was he not supposed to? After I healed Duusu’s Miraculous we talked about the Kwami and my being Ladybug, then he told me about his training.” She could hear the nervousness in her voice but couldn’t help it. She hadn’t meant to get Damian in trouble.

“I’m just surprised is all. I don’t think he’s ever even talked to me about it, not in detail anyway. I just know the League of Assassins and how they operate.” He hesitated. “How much detail did he go into?”

“Enough.” She could tell he’d kept back the worst of it, but he’d also been trying to shock her with some of it to see how she’d react. She couldn’t believe a parent would do that to their child. “His mother sounds like someone who only had a child because it was necessary to her plans. People like that don’t tend to be very good at actually raising children.”

“That’s a massive understatement in Talia’s case. I’m glad he feels comfortable enough to share it with someone, but if it makes you too uncomfortable be sure to tell him. I’m not going to sacrifice the mental health of one child for another.” Marinette could only stare at him for a moment. Listening to Damian, she hadn’t felt anything but concern for him but the fact that his biological father was just as worried about her was honestly overwhelming. She tried to remember a time when her parents cared more about her feelings than the way her actions affected others. She kept coming up blank and felt herself start to choke up knowing that it was her memory that was the problem. It had to be.


	77. Dealing with Difficult People

Bruce watched Selina stalk into the Batcave minutes after Marinette went back to sleep. She was obviously agitated, he just hoped it wasn’t currently with him. That hope was quickly dashed as she continued to glare while bypassing everyone else.

“What did that woman say to you?” Bruce blinked at her for a moment before he figured out what she was talking about. He must be tired. He glanced to Marinette to make sure she hadn’t woken again before leading Selina away from the others.

“How do you even know about that?” Her flat stare said she thought he was an idiot. Alfred, of course it was Alfred. He let out an annoyed sigh. “Miss Cesaire was busy while trapped in Ivy’s makeshift cage it seems. Not only did she decide to do a livestream, and she still refuses to believe I’m Bruce Wayne by the way, but she also called Mme. Cheng to tell her that Marinette was pretending to be a celebrity’s daughter and causing all sorts of problems. Naturally, Mme. Cheng called me.” And hadn’t that been a train wreck.

“She’s not trying to get Marinette back.” The rage in her tone made it hard for him to figure out if it was a statement or a question. He decided to answer it regardless.

“No, she called to warn me that Marinette was up to her old habits. Honestly I think she wanted confirmation that Marinette was acting up away from home to make her feel better. Make sure it wasn’t her parenting that was the problem.” Everything about that woman was surreal to him at this point. She hadn’t called to check on her daughter, she’d called to commiserate with him since she was now his ‘problem’. Infuriated didn’t even begin to describe how he’d felt.

“I’m going to be out of touch for a few days.” Bruce rolled his eyes as he took hold of her wrists so she couldn’t leave.

“Selina, no.” She opened her mouth to argue but he just kept going. “First, Marinette needs you here. Second, she’d be devastated if something happened to her parents and even more so if she found out any of us were involved.”

“Those people are not parents!” She said the words loud enough to cause all the others to stir in their sleep. Selina only calmed down when Marinette made a sound suspiciously like a whimper.

“Maybe not now, but they are all she knows and even Tikki says things weren’t always this bad. Regardless, you’re needed here and running off on a mission of petty revenge to make yourself feel better isn’t going to help Marinette. She needs you here.” He could only wait and hope his fiance would listen to reason. As much as he might agree with her about some things, Marinette parents weren’t a major concern. Not unless they actually tried to contact Mari. Then he’d gladly let Selina, Alfred, and Jason loose on Paris. He had a feeling Tikki would send Plagg with them to help as well. Selina finally let out a frustrated breath.

“Fine, for now. But if that woman ever comes near Mari…” She let the threat hang and he just nodded. He honestly didn’t want to know what she was coming up with. It would be inventive and extremely painful he was sure. “What are you doing about that idiotic blogger?” He could only groan at that reminder.

“Well for starters, lawsuits. Lots of lawsuits.” He had been willing to ignore Marinette’s former tormentors in favor of her recovery, until today. Now he had WE lawyers working with Tim to find every single thing that girl had posted that was false. They would be contacting everyone that she’d posted lies about and getting them to act as well. Shit storm was far too mild a word for what she’d be facing. “She’s also in police custody for knowingly entering the university with a false name as hers was on a do not admit list.” Selina frowned at that.

“I was meaning to ask you about that. All the attendees and plans for this were set long before Marinette arrived, how did you know to ban her?” He could feel his entire face wrinkle in disgust.

“To be honest I didn’t connect her with Marinette until yesterday or I would have added more security. Miss Cesaire put in her application with the majority of her class and once we vetted her and found her blog we denied her entry based on that alone. The girl was obviously unhinged and that’s the last thing we wanted in the program. Honestly I wasn’t expecting this level of delusion.” As of an hour ago she was still ranting to her followers about the ‘fake’ Bruce Wayne. His lawyers were going to eat her alive.

“But the rest of them got in?” He nodded but held himself back from saying anything. He might explode if he did. He went back to their files to see how they’d managed it and felt sick. Yes they were all very accomplished in their given field for their age, but almost all their applicants were. No, what had pushed them all over the edge were glowing recommendations from their class representative. They were all detailed and heavily researched with all sorts of information on projects and achievements for each one. All of them had been written by Marinette. The girl they’d all turned on. The girl they’d all almost succeeded in destroying. He could feel his rage building just remembering all the wonderful things she’d written about them all, even Alya though it was obvious she couldn’t find much to praise the girl for academically.

Was it wrong of him to want to forward their hotel rooms to the Riddler? The man wouldn’t do much if any real damage, not to a bunch of kids, but it would likely scare them and maybe they’d go home on their own. Granted he wasn’t above having them deported. By morning they’d all receive restraining orders not only specifying Marinette but all his family plus Chole, Adrien, and Syd. Those kids and their teacher would be lucky to be able to leave their hotel at all without violating them.

“Let the legal system handle this for now Selina. We need to be focused here. Between Marinette’s mental health and Syd’s physical wellbeing we can’t afford to split our focus further.” His fiance gave him a grim nod, not much but he’d take it, before heading over to the others. He watched them all as he told himself firmly to take his own advice.


	78. Doubts

The next time Marinette woke up Selina was on the cot between her and Syd. Looking around she spotted Chloe on the other side of the cave, talking on her phone. Judging by her posture and hand gestures it was business. This time when she decided to sit up no one stopped her. She still felt a bit drained and hungry but her thoughts were much clearer as well.

“Was wondering when you’d wake up.” She blinked at Plagg’s blurred form as he flew into her face. Tikki was hovering a little behind him looking worried.

“I’m sorry I kept going after you told me to stop. I had to make sure nothing was left that could heal wrong.” Syd would never have been in that position in the first place if not for her. Marinette couldn’t allow this to permanently affect her life.

“We understand Mari. We may not agree with it, but your sense of duty and empathy are two of the qualities that make you both a true holder and a great Guardian.” Tikki still looked worried for some reason and Marinette had to think back to what happened during the healing. At the time she’d been responding on autopilot but now she had time to think about what was discussed.

“Plagg why aren’t you with Adrien?” It wasn’t what she wanted to ask but she still wasn’t certain how to address the things that had been said. The Kwami let out a disgusted scoff.

“He and the baby CEO finally found common ground. I wasn’t about to stick around while he flirts, badly, with someone that’s still completely oblivious to his interest. I’m not sure if it’s the sleep deprivation or not expecting a guy to come on to him, but that kid’s just as unaware as Adrien was with you.” Marinette struggled not to laugh. It was best not to encourage Plagg.

“What common ground?” Plagg’s ears and tail drooped as she didn’t take the bait so Tikki answered.

“Photography. Tim apparently has been into it since he was little, and Adrien may not have liked modeling all that much but he was interested in camera work. More so since everything happened.” Marinette just nodded. Adrien hated being in the public eye even though his father forced it on him. It was almost a relief for him when the man went to jail. At least it would have been had Paris not decided to make him a pariah.

“So do I get a full explanation now, or am I still too young?” Both Kwami flinched and she realized how harsh her words sounded. It wasn’t her intent but she was still too tired to figure out a better way to ask.

“We were trying to protect you Bug. If we’d had any idea something like this was possible we would have told you. We should have told you anyway, but since you weren’t going up against another Miraculous we thought we’d have time to ease you into it.” Marinette could only sigh at Plagg’s words. They thought she couldn’t handle it. If she hadn’t been so weak before Tikki had been taken from her maybe they would trust her more.

“You didn’t think I was ready.” Tikki actually flew into her face looking livid.

“That’s not true. I know how much you can handle Marinette. I watched you deal with having the world turn against you while you saved it over and over again. I know how strong you actually are even though you don’t believe it. Fu chose not to tell you because he was scared. Because he was weak. It had nothing to do with you. We agreed to wait to tell you because we thought there were more pressing things you needed to learn and we didn’t know it would become a problem. We made a mistake. You are and have always been ready to face anything that gets thrown at you and that hasn’t changed.”

Marinette could only stare at the Kwami as she tried to process that rant. She did what she had to do. She wasn’t brave or smart, she’d just fumbled her way through things and Tikki’s luck must have taken care of the rest.

“That’s bullshit!” Marinette started at Chloe’s shout and it took her a minute to realize she must have said that thought out loud. She hadn’t even realized the girl had made it back to this side of the cave. “You are what made us a team. You are what made Ladybug a hero. Not Tikki and not the Guardian.”

“She’s right Kit. You don’t give yourself enough credit. Tikki’s Lucky Charms are proof of that.” Marinette frowned at Plagg’s droll tone but Tikki actually giggled.

“Plagg’s right. If you weren’t so creative and intelligent I wouldn’t have been able to give you what you really needed, only what you were capable of figuring out.” She’d always thought Tikki’s objects would have been the same regardless. Or on less charitable days she’d honestly just thought the Kwami was messing with her.

“Okay.” She could see them about to argue further and decided to try and get back on target. “What exactly is it that you didn’t tell me?” They shared a look before both settled on her lap.

“We’re going to have to start at the beginning so this could take awhile. It might be a good idea to eat first, and get everyone together that you want to hear this.” Tikki didn’t sound like they were stalling, and Marinette had a feeling they were giving her the option of who to share information with. Not to mention giving her time to decide who she wanted to know.


	79. Unexpected Powers

Two hours later Marinette was in the kitchen with Adrien, Chloe, Bruce, Selina, Luka, and Kagami. Syd would have been there if she weren’t still heavily sedated. Harley and Ivy were still with her to monitor for any problems. She was still second guessing herself for leaving before she could make sure there wasn’t any permanent damage but Tikki insisted that there wasn’t and wouldn’t let her transform. As much as she wanted to believe her Kwami she couldn’t help but feel like she was slaking in her duty. It was almost like an itch.

“You’re sure you want us all here for this?” Selina’s voice broke into her worry. She wasn’t sure about anything, but the Miraculous wielders were all a part of this so they should understand it just as much as she did. Bruce and Selina were there because she didn’t want to have to hide things from them. She couldn’t afford to have lies and secrets get her thrown out of another family.

“It’s okay.” She saw everyone else exchange looks but didn’t want to think about what it meant. “So Tikki, where do we start?” Now all the Kwami were exchanging looks as well, great. Well all except Trixx who’d refused to leave Syd. That thought brought a new wave of guilt with it. Eventually Tikki sighed.

“The Miraculous were originally created to work together to help maintain the balance in this world.” They paused and Marinette recognized it as trying to soften the blow. “Humans for all their interesting qualities tend to create imbalance. We agreed to be bound in order to help counteract that.”

“If they were meant to work together why does the cure only work on damage from other Miraculous?” Bruce’s question caused Tikki to look at her in question and Marinette sighed.

“It doesn’t.” Everyone was looking at her with varying levels of surprise and confusion. “Tikki’s magic can work on anything, but it comes with a price. Balance must be maintained. Tikki told me at the beginning that she could use energy from the other Miraculous to maintain the balance, but if I were to try and use my powers on other things it would cause an equal amount of damage elsewhere.” Her explanation seemed to ease the confusion but now Tikki looked guilty.

“That’s true but I didn’t give you the full explanation at the time because Fu forbade me to. He was afraid that knowing the truth would cause you to reconsider.” Given her original hesitance and the fact that she tried to give away her Miraculous she could understand his caution. One more thing that was her fault. If she’d been stronger, maybe he’d have felt comfortable telling her what was happening. Tikki flew up into her face, breaking her train of thought. “I know what you’re thinking and it wasn’t your fault. Fu made that decision before he even met you. His failings are not your fault.”

“So what is the full explanation?” She could feel everyone’s eyes on her but kept her own on the table in front of her. She didn’t know what Tikki would say, but she really didn’t want to see their reactions. She had a feeling it wasn’t going to paint her in a good light. Tikki sighed again.

“First I need a tether to another Miraculous in order to use their power that way. That’s why I told you not to cast the cure before purifying the Akuma. I would draw Nooroo’s energy through the Akuma which is why Hawkmoth didn’t attack more often. It would have drained his energy as well as Nooroo’s, at least to a point. It’s also why attacks happened more often the few times he recalled an Akuma before you could purify it.” She shuddered as she remembered those fights. He’d recalled the Akuma before they could corner the victim and created a new one within an hour. The second was always particularly vicious.

“He wasn’t aware of that though was he? He just found an emotion he thought would be more effective in defeating us so he changed targets.” That’s what it had felt like at least. It was Nooroo that answered.

“Yes. He did it because he felt a much stronger rage to use. He was never all that interested in exactly how the powers worked, just what he could get from them.” They sounded so defeated and Marinette reached out to comfort them.

“It’s better that he didn’t know Nooroo. The less information he had the better since he was only focused on his own selfish gain.” The Kwami nodded but didn’t look any less guilty. Tikki continued.

“Second, cure is a bit of a misnomer. My powers don’t actually heal anything. I’m the Kwami of creation, so I actually simply remake things exactly how they were. This doesn’t work with people because of how complex they are psychologically. I can recreate their bodies but not their memories and experiences. If I had done that they wouldn’t have been the same people. Somehow Mari accessed other powers in order to bring them back. As Plagg said we think she was accessing Fluff’s powers to grab people from the timeline just before they died.” That was a lot to process. The fact that she knew nothing about Tikki’s powers was bad enough but knowing she’d somehow circumvented the natural order of things… how much damage had she done without even realizing it?

“So if you remade everything, what happened to the things that were damaged?” Kagami’s question made Marinette snap her head up. Trust the fencer to ask the right questions. Plagg and Tikki shared a look before Plagg answered.

“I’m pretty sure she was accessing my powers for the cleanup as well.” She was going to be sick. If they were right that meant she’d not only gotten rid of debris, but she’d used Cataclysm to get rid of countless bodies as well. She’d rewritten the timeline over and over again and gotten rid of the evidence of her failures. She had to have known what she was doing on some level. Otherwise, how could she have done it? What kind of monster was she?

“Marinette.” She flinched at Bruce’s voice right next to her. When had he moved so close? She forced herself to look at him but everything was blurry. When had she started crying? “None of this is your fault. There’s no way you could have known what was going on and Tikki wasn’t allowed to tell you.” She was shaking her head almost as soon as he started talking.

“I had to have known. You can’t do something like that without knowing.” The words just came out. Before she could fall into a spiral arms wrapped around. Too many for one person. It took her a few minutes to calm down enough to really process the fact that Bruce and Selina were both holding her. They should be disgusted with what she’d done, why were they holding her?

“I have a question.” Luka’s voice forced her back to the conversation. “If you create things rather than fix them why would your powers cause damage to other things to maintain balance?”

“Not damage, destruction.” Marinette spoke before the thought had fully formed but it sounded right. “If Tikki creates something from nothing it requires an equal amount of destruction to maintain the balance.” Tikki nodded in response to the answer.

“And there’s no way for me or anyone to predict how that destruction will manifest itself. If I create a car it could cause anything from another car breaking down to an earthquake to a building collapsing. There’s no way to tell how the universe will fix things once it’s all in motion. Before being bound to this plane I had a much better feel for such things, but it was never foolproof.”

“There’s something else you’re not saying.” Tikki looked at her in surprise before both they and Plagg flew up under her chin. Well that couldn’t be good.

“The fact that you were using both my and Plagg’s powers during the cure means that creation and destruction were feeding off each other. It made the cure far more powerful and effective.” Tikki paused and Marinette felt all the Kwami hold their breath. “It also means that if we’re wrong about you accessing Fluff’s powers you were most likely using a lesser version of combining our powers to bring back all those people.” Marinette felt herself getting light headed and realized she was hyperventilating. It didn’t help though. Her only thought before she passed out was; What have I done?


	80. Oh Look, More Surprises

Bruce was in the Batcave staring at the pile of children in front of him.. Syd was still unconscious on a cot due to her injuries but everyone else was in a nest of blankets on the floor around Marinette. Even Damian. Meanwhile he could only sit there and wonder how this had happened in the first place. He was used to his children bickering and poking at each other and had long since given up trying to stop it. Marinette had been here less than a month and had somehow created a truce between all of them without even being aware of it.

“Any idea how to calm her down once she wakes back up?” Selina’s question caused him to groan and run a hand down his face. He didn’t even know where to start given everything Tikki had explained to them after Mari passed out.

“I’m hoping having everyone still here will help because I don’t think words will do any good at all. She’s been continuously abandoned by the people around her for what she sees as personal failings so this should at least be comforting.” He gestured to the bodies on the floor. He’d even allowed Kagami and Luka in the cave against his better judgement because he figured the fewer absent the better their chances of keeping Marinette from spiraling into a panic as soon as she remembered the conversation.

“Honestly Bruce, we were gone less than a month and you adopted four more kids? Are you insane?” Stephanie’s voice sounded from the cave entrance and he could feel a migraine coming on as he watched her and Cass walk in. They weren’t supposed to be back for another two weeks, at the earliest. They must have seen the news coverage.

“I didn’t-”

“It’s looking like the total’s going to be closer to six actually.” Selina’s amused voice cut off his denial and he could only glare at her until she let out a huff. “In truth he only adopted one of them and she really needed to be adopted. The rest just sort of congregated after that.” Steph opened her mouth to reply but Cass nudged her and pointed to the pile on the floor and she gaped at the sight.

“I’ve never seen them all in one room without fighting, let alone being relaxed enough to sleep, what kind of drugs did you use on them?” Her tone was half serious and he could understand why, especially when her gaze lingered on Damian who’d somehow managed to squeeze in between Adrien and Marinette and actually had a death grip on Mari’s arm. Alfred the Cat and Titus were curled up on their legs as well. Bruce just shared a look with Selina before shrugging.

“No drugs, just Marinette. She’s magic.” Selina’s tone wasn’t even half joking and he could only nod in agreement. Miraculous or no, Marinette affected everyone she came in contact with strongly and this was the end result. She had to be magic to get his family to agree on anything. Steph frowned at them in disbelief but Cass just let out a thoughtful hum as she stared at the girl.

“Pain and sadness. Who hurt?” Cass’s words shouldn’t have surprised him. Even asleep Marinette was tense and the expression on her face looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“Just about everyone it seems.” Cass pulled her gaze away to give him a serious look.

“We help.” It wasn’t a question but he nodded anyway. He couldn’t even find it in himself to be surprised that she’d only taken one look at the girl and jumped on the ‘Marinette must be protected at all costs’ bandwagon. “Syd okay?” That caused him to pause.

“You know Syd?” Cass nodded and made the sign for music. “She’ll be fine. Marinette fixed everything major so she just needs some time to heal.”

“And what’s the story with the rest? It’s not like you to just let people in on our identities.” He couldn’t come up with a good response, certainly not one to appease Steph’s curiosity. Luckily he didn’t have to.

“It’s hard to hide things from beings who can phase through walls.” Plagg’s bored voice caused both girls to jump.

“What the hell is that?!” Bruce winced at her volume as the pile of bodies shifted but Selina grinned at them.

“I’m sorry, did we forget to mention that in addition to Marinette’s support group we also now have about a dozen pocket gods in residence?” Steph seemed too stunned to speak but Cass was focused on studying Plagg. They tilted their heads the exact same way and it took all Bruce’s self control not to laugh when they blinked at the same time. Then Plagg grinned at her.

“Stay right there.” Bruce watched the Kwami disappear and didn’t even have time to wonder what the creature was up to before he saw them dragging the purple Kwami, Nooroo if he remembered correctly, away from Marinette. “Stop being such a worry wart. I’m not going to get you in trouble. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

“Plagg, your surprises are almost always far more fun for you than for any of the rest of us. I’m not agreeing to anything unless Tikki says it’s okay.” The poor creature sounded nervous but Plagg just kept pushing them forward.

“I promise Tikki will be fine with it. Look.” Plagg pointed at Cass with a smug grin. “I found your chosen.”


	81. How Many Siblings Did I End Up With Exactly?

Marinette was startled awake by a horrendous screech. She felt her panic flare as she realized she was pinned down. She couldn’t move, couldn’t remember where she’d been when she fell asleep. Why couldn’t she remember? She started thrashing, the only thought with any clarity was the need to escape.

“Shh Mari. We’re here for you. All of us. Everything’s okay, you’re fine I promise.” Chloe’s calm voice in her ear finally penetrated her spiral and she latched on to her, burying her head in the girls neck. Chloe continued to murmur reassurances as the other people touching her seemed to slowly disperse. She wasn’t certain how long she laid there trying to get her breathing under control but as the panic receded embarrassment took over. She was so pathetic, why couldn’t she just keep it together? “Stop thinking Bug. You’re safe, you’re not overreacting, and no one thinks you’re doing this for attention.”

“Sorry.” Chloe let out an agitated breath at her apology and Marinette giggled at the reaction. It was probably nerves but she felt Choe relax at the sound and snuggled further into her. She absolutely wasn’t ready to face the people or questions that would be sure to follow her recovery. Not to mention Chloe had said they were all there. She just wanted to hide a while longer. Then she remembered passing out and the conversation beforehand and felt her breathing grow ragged again. A large hand started rubbing circles on her back.

“Everything’s going to be alright Mari. You had no idea what was happening and the person who was supposed to help you failed in their duty. Now that you’re aware of what’s going on Tikki said they can teach you to control it. No one here thinks any less of you for what happened.” Bruce’s voice was a soothing rumble and she could feel some of her tension leaving. He didn’t hate her, which was a relief, but he hadn’t been affected by her ignorance the way others had. Tampering with the timeline was bad enough but regardless of what happened she was certain that whatever she had done had caused her class to turn against her and Adrien. It had caused all of their lives to shift course and fall apart. It really was her fault everyone hated her so much.

“I can feel you over thinking again. Just breathe and stop blaming yourself for everything.” Chloe’s annoyed, matter of fact tone actually helped her calm down. She had no idea why given that if it had come from anyone else it likely would have sent her into another panic attack.

“She’s right you know. Even if you did combine powers that shouldn’t have been there’s no telling if you made things worse or better. All we know is that in the end you stopped someone far worse from making a wish that we know would’ve had drastic consequences.” She reached out blindly towards Adrien’s voice and felt him grip her hand. Of everyone, he was the one who should hate her most. She’d screwed up his life worse than even her own. But here he was forgiving her for it, or possibly not even realizing that she did anything to forgive. “You really should open your eyes Mari. Don’t you want to know why Nooroo let out a shriek like a banshee?”

“Nooroo?” That’s what woke her up? Here she was feeling sorry for herself and ignoring her responsibilities as Guardian. She tried to sit up but Chloe stopped her from moving too fast and Bruce helped guide her upright. All she saw was Nooroo pointing at a girl she didn’t know with their mouth hanging open while Plagg floated there with a smug look. Oh that couldn’t be good. “Plagg what did you do?” She tried to keep her exasperation out of her voice but Plagg puffed up in annoyance anyway.

“I found Nooroo’s Chosen. I would have thought you would all be a little more grateful.” Marinette could only stare at him for a minute before turning her attention to the girl, or woman rather. Marinette could sense the hardships she’d lived through as well as her empathy. After dealing with Gabriel it would be good for Nooroo to have such a holder.

“What do you think Nooroo?” The Kwami blinked and turned to her looking lost before zooming over and hiding under her chin. “Oh Nooroo, it’s okay. If you’re not ready to have a new holder we don’t have to rush anything. We don’t even know if she is willing.” Both she and the other one Marinette hadn’t seen before looked confused more than anything else and Bruce cleared his throat behind her.

“This is Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown. Cass, Steph, This is Marinette, Chloe, Adrien, Luka, and Kagami.” Everyone nodded in greeting not really knowing what else to do. Cass and Kagami were eyeing each other though and that worried Marinette. Kagami was overprotective like Chloe but far quicker to violence. Cass was dangerous, that much was obvious, and the last thing anyone needed was infighting given the amount of conflict they dealt with already

“What’s all this Chosen nonsense?” Marinette sighed and stood at Stephanie’s question, wondering how many times she’d have to explain this. Cass was looking at her warily but at least Nooroo hadn’t latched onto her the way Trixx had Syd. She reached into the secret pocket on her shirt and pulled out Nooroo’s Miraculous as she walked closer to Cass.

“I am the Guardian of the Miraculous which are pieces of jewelry that house Kwami like Nooroo.” The purple creature was still trying to hide in her neck and she felt them shivering as she talked so she gestured to Plagg to shift everyone’s focus. “Each Kwami is a god of a specific aspect or part of nature. Plagg is the Kwami of destruction and as such grants their holder powers related to that. Miraculous can be wielded by anyone but certain individuals resonate better with certain Kwami. The stronger the resonance the more powers they can access. A Chosen is someone that resonates perfectly with a specific Kwami. For instance I resonate perfectly with the Kwami of Creation, Tikki.” Tikki popped out of nowhere to hover next to her shoulder, waving at the newcomers.

“And how many of these Kwami are there?” Steph sounded worried though Marinette had no idea why. She offered an encouraging smile regardless.

“I have no idea. The universe is constantly changing and everytime it does, more Kwami come into existence. As to the number that are bound to Miraculous, that is much smaller but the Kwami themselves are not certain when the Guardians stopped making new Miraculous so I’m still uncertain of the actual number. The box I’m currently responsible for houses nineteen but I will have to begin looking for the others soon.” Yet another thing Fu didn’t think was a priority and didn’t mention. Marinette could only hope she wouldn’t run into any more Hawkmoth type problems because of it. Tikki believed that the other Miraculous had been sealed so the Kwami would only show themselves for a Guardian, but they weren’t certain.

“How exactly do you plan on doing that?” Bruce’s tone seemed both harsh and worried and it took her a moment to figure out that he might be worried for her. She turned to find him scowling at the Kwami and tried to put on a reassuring smile.

“Things have been rather hectic so we haven’t made it into the planning stages yet. It’s just something that needs to be done sooner rather than later. It can wait until we figure out what’s going on with this cult that’s after Syd though. Even Tikki agrees with that.”

“What cult?” It was the first time she’d heard Cass speak and Mari immediately felt a deep kinship with her. How odd. One more thing she didn’t have time to figure out.


	82. An Unexpected Guest

After getting the girls caught up on the cult situation, they all ended up in the family room. Alfred had deemed Syd stable enough to put in a guest room and was monitoring her. Harley and Ivy had gone out with the promise to be back to check on her and Bruce honestly didn’t want to know what they were up to. He wouldn’t put it past them to break into Arkham to go after the Joker but he didn’t think that was their plan. Whatever they were doing he had other priorities at the moment.

Marinette was obviously still upset over using powers that could have grave consequences and they could all see the way she kept losing herself in those thoughts. All her friends had been taking turns trying to keep her calm. The boys… well their hearts were in the right place but it seemed like every time she was close to fine one of them said something that pushed her back into a panic mindset. His favorite so far was Tim’s insomnia driven statement about it being unlikely she messed with the timeline because the Justice League had people monitoring that. It had taken Chloe, Adrien, and all the Kwami to convince Mari that Tim didn’t know anything about the Miraculous and the Justice League didn’t have the ability to monitor anything about them, even if they could detect other shifts. Bruce still wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but he was willing to go with it. The girls were all rather quiet. He couldn’t help glancing to make sure Steph was still there every couple of minutes since she usually was even more vocal than the boys.

At the moment, Marinette was between him and Selina. They’d tried to give her space at first, but it seemed to make her nervous. It took him far too long to realize it was because of the way her parents had refused to give her affection. She wanted it, badly, but she was too afraid to ask. Once he’d figured that out he’d had her shift closer to Selina and scooted in closer himself so she could curl up against both of them. In a move that had shocked everyone in the room, Damian had taken up residency at her feet and was currently letting her play with his hair. No one knew what to make of it, and Damian just glared at anyone who looked like they might be about to comment on it. He was willing to look past the weird in favor of being happy Damian seemed to actually have found a sibling to bond with.

He heard the doorbell ring and Alfred answer it. He looked around the room to see if anyone was expecting company, but they all looked confused or annoyed at the possible interruption. Given everything that was going on, he expected Alfred to send whoever it was away. He shared a worried glance with Selina when they heard voices coming towards the room. One was Alfred, but the other was female. Adrien and Chloe shared a look he couldn’t interpret, but Marinette shot up and over the back of the couch. Before anyone could react to that, Alfred entered with a very irate older woman. She seemed to get even more upset as she looked around the room. Finally, her attention settled on Chloe.

“Where is she?” Chloe seemed hesitant to respond, but it became unnecessary when they all heard Marinette whimper. The woman was around the couch before the rest of them could move. “Marinette?” Her voice had softened considerably.

“Do you hate me too?” Bruce heard Marinette’s broken tone and was up immediately, Selina just behind. He saw horror on the woman’s face before it melted into sadness.

“Oh, my poor fairy.” She opened her arms and Marinette dove into her with a sob. Bruce looked at Chloe and raised an eyebrow at her. She mouthed the word ‘grandmother’ back at him. Well, at least someone in her family seemed immune to the vitriol surrounding the girl. “When my idiot son told me what they’d done, I came as fast as I could. I’m so sorry I was out of contact so long.” Bruce watched as the woman continued trying to sooth Marinette. She was speaking in a mixture of French and Italian. The others slowly filtered out of the room until it was just him, Selina and Damian watching the pair.

“You’re not taking her. She’s ours now, and you’ve already allowed her to be mistreated once.” Damian’s words had Selina coughing to cover a laugh and Bruce could only roll his eyes at the pair of them. He hadn’t wanted to start this conversation on the offensive, but here they were. Marinette started giggling while her grandmother studied Damian.

“You may want to brush up on your diplomacy young man. And stop fiddling with the knives you’re trying to conceal. It makes it painfully obvious what you’re thinking of trying.” Damian scowled at her, but she just grinned back at him before turning her attention to him. “You’re the one they gave custody to?” He nodded but it was Marinette who answered.

“Yes Nonna. This is Bruce Wayne, his fiance Selina Kyle, and Damian, one of my new siblings. Dad, this is Gina Dupain.” Gina was studying all of them and seemed rather taken aback when Marinette called him dad. He couldn’t really blame her.

“Marinette, why don’t you take Damian somewhere so I can talk to your new guardians.” There was a hard edge to her voice and he wasn’t the only one that heard it.

“Nonna.” The clear warning in Marinette’s tone caused Gina to look down at her in surprise. “Everyone here has been nothing but nice to me, even though I don’t deserve it. I know you want to help me but I do like it here. Not to mention if you get custody of me you’ll either have to stop traveling and settle down somewhere until I finish school or send me to a boarding school. You shouldn’t have to put your life on hold because of me, and I’m already enrolled here. Dad’s even letting Adrien and Chloe stay here with me and you know they won’t let anything happen to me.”

“I will always put my life on hold for you. Always. Not to mention I’m getting old so maybe it’s time I tried staying in one place for a while.” The skeptical look on Marinette’s face caused Gina to let out an amused huff. “I will take all that into consideration, but I still want to talk to them alone.” Marinette looked to Bruce and he gave her an encouraging smile.

“Why don’t you two take Titus for a walk? You haven’t explored the grounds all that much since you’ve been here and Damian can show you some of the less-traveled areas.”

“Okay.” She gave Gina one last hug then moved on to Selina and finally him before she held out a hand to Damian. He watched his son take it and follow her out the door. He only looked back once and the expression quite plainly said, ‘fix this or I will.’ That boy was going to be the death of him.

“Did she drug him or something? I’ve never seen Damian warm up to anyone without four legs and fur.” Selina sounded confused more than anything else. He’d wondered the same thing himself. Maybe it was because of the Kwami. Or maybe it was just Marinette herself.

“I’ve chosen not to question it.” He turned back to find Gina glaring at him. “Madam Dupain, I’m very glad to know that Marinette has family on her side. However, I will make it plain that I have no intention of giving up custody of her. Marinette needs a loving home with people who will help her heal. I’m sure your intentions are good but the resources and stability she can have here will ensure she gets the best help possible. I have no objection to you visiting now, or even taking trips with Mari once she’s further down the road to recovery, but I will not simply give her up or throw her away. Her parents have already abandoned her; I won’t do the same.” The woman just continued to glare at him but he waited. If she was expecting him to flinch or back down she was in for a rude awakening. Finally she gave an approving hum.

“You’ve got a spine at least, I’ll give you that. But I’ve also done my own research. You’ve adopted a number of children. How can I be sure you can give my fairy the time and attention that she needs? Or are you planning on letting others be there for her while you simply pay for what she wants?” He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. Even knowing how many wealthy people let proxies raise their children, he was still offended. He calmed himself a little by reminding himself that Chloe and Adrien both had pretty useless parents and that was likely her model for the wealthy raising their kids.

“I do not claim to be the best parent in the world.”

“And no one else would give you that title either.” Of course Selina would choose now to throw her two cents in. The innocent smile on her face just received a glare.

“However, I do what I can to stay involved and up to date with all my children. Some need my presence more than others, both due to age and circumstance. We try to do a lot of activities as a family and we all look out for each other. Even if I can’t be there for Marinette for some reason she now has an entire support system to fall back on.” She didn’t seem pleased with his answer.

“And do you make all your wards address you as Dad?” Selina’s amused snort wasn’t appreciated, but it was better than the burst of laughter from the adjoining room. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. Did he expect his children to eavesdrop? Absolutely. He just wished they wouldn’t be obvious about it.

“No I don’t.” More laughing. He heard Steph and Jason get into an argument about which one of them could come up with the most insulting name for him. “Marinette made that decision on her own, just as all my children do. Though I’ll admit it’s certainly one of the reasons she’s quickly become my favorite.” There was dead silence for about five seconds before they all seemed to explode. Bruce was glad they were yelling over each other, making it near impossible for anyone to understand. Gina was giving him a slightly more approving look as well, so overall it was worth the backlash he’d get from this.


	83. Chapter 83

Half an hour later they were all still yelling and arguing. The only difference was that they were all back in the room. Gina seemed to find the entire thing highly amusing which Bruce supposed was a plus. He was just developing a headache. He looked away from the chaos for a moment and found Marinette and Damian standing in the doorway. His son looked disgusted with the display. Marinette just looked confused and he let out a relieved breath. Apparently she was getting used to how loud all of his kids were.

“Demon Spawn! Bruce said Marinette was his favorite.” Bruce just rolled his eyes at Jason’s words. Marinette looked at him in shock but Damian just raised an eyebrow.

“So?” Everyone went mute at his response.

“What do you mean so? You’re just okay with that?” Steph was looking at him like he’d been replaced by a pod person.

“Of course. I’m related by blood so I’m in a different category. Marinette is by far the most component and useful of all of you except possibly Cain. She should be his favorite.” Selina let out a bark of laughter and Marinette’s friends simply looked smug. Dick let out a hurt whine and then the rest of the room erupted.

“He called her by her first name!”

“Different category my ass!”

“Did she drug him? She had to have drugged him!”

“I’ll show you competent you little…”

“Enough!” Bruce was honestly surprised when they all brought it down to quiet grumbling. Most were still glaring at Damian but it was obvious Marinette thought those looks were directed at her as she shrank in on herself.

“I don’t want to cause problems. Maybe it would be better if Nonna sent me away to a boarding school.” If she had been looking at them instead of the floor she would have seen the concern on their faces. Unfortunately they were all trying to reassure her in extremely loud voices and he could see her shrinking in on herself further. So loud was only fine as long as she didn’t think it was directed at her. He walked over to cover Marinette’s ears before letting out a piercing whistle.

“If you can’t speak calmly and one at a time you can leave or be silent.” Most of his children had sheepish expressions but Damian just rolled his eyes. Eventually, Dick was the one to walk up to Marinette and kneel down to be at eye level.

“You are not causing problems. We always argue like this but I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. None of us want you to leave.” She peeked up at all of them with a hopeful look.

“Really?” Suddenly everyone was tripping over themselves trying to reassure her again, getting louder by the second. Bruce could only sigh in annoyance but Marinette actually let out a giggle in front of him as the rest devolved into arguing about who wanted Marinette to stay the most.

“Did you really say I was your favorite?” He blinked down at her, not able to read her tone. In the end he just shrugged.

“Yes.” He gestured to the scene in front of them. Jason had Damian in a headlock while Cass was trying to keep Steph, Tim, and Dick from coming to blows as they fought over who should get the privilege of making sure Marinette was comfortable in the house. “Can you blame me? You’re by far the least problematic and least violent of the lot.” She let out another giggle and he wondered if she thought he was joking.

“I’ll fix it.” He didn’t have a chance to respond as Marinette stepped away from him towards the chaos. She went to Damian and Jason first but he couldn’t hear what she said. In less than a minute the two boys actually looked contrite and even shook hands. She moved on to the other group and calmed them down just as quickly. Within minutes everyone was calm and sitting down again. They were conversing civilly with each other as well as Marinette’s friends and grandmother.

“She really is magic isn’t she?” Selina came up beside him looking amused and he could only shake his head.

“Magic has limits. That is nothing short of a miracle.” Selina just offered a hum of agreement before going to sit with the others. She and Gina quickly started talking about places they’d both been too. The others seemed content to listen for the most part and add their opinions when it was somewhere they’d visited as well. He was still standing there in awe of the scene when Alfred appeared next to him.

“Certain members of the Justice League are calling for a meeting. It appears they want you to explain the newest additions to your team.” Bruce just rolled his eyes. Of course they did. “They seemed more curious and confused than anything else given your track record.”

“They just have too much time on their hands right now. It’s been oddly quiet lately and this is something to focus on.” Marinette seemed to sense his annoyance and turned to offer him a smile. She really was something else. “Set a meeting, and tell Diana I want to speak with her and Marinette before so we’re on the same page about what the others need to know.”


	84. Chapter 84

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a number of people have pointed out that Aquaman wasn’t actually alive when Atlantis sank. Believe it or not, I am aware of that. What I forgot in my sleep deprived state is that in order to have context for this scene you need to be privy to one of my three am headcanons rather than anything in DC lore. The short version is that Aquaman has the memories from Plagg’s former holder as well as some others from just before Atlantis sank. Plagg knows this because you can bet your ass he’s keeping track of a civilization that dared give him fake cheese, Mari doesn’t but she’s going off verbal cues from the other two, and Aquaman is simply responding as if he was that person because of the stress since the memories are embedded in his own. For the long explanation see the notes at the end.

This was going to be a disaster. That was the only thought going through Batman’s head as they waited to enter. He’d sent Nightwing and Red Hood ahead to gauge the attitude in the room. All they’d relayed back was that Aquaman seemed agitated but no one knew why. The information was less than helpful. He looked down at Crimson Bat and she seemed completely composed. If not for the death grip she had on his and Robin’s hands he wouldn’t have any idea she was nervous. Robin was just glaring at the door as if daring anyone on the other side to make one wrong move. Disaster may not be a strong enough word.

He was also starting to regret his decision to have her come by herself. It made sense to not show their entire hand and he really couldn’t think of which other holder would have been least antagonistic towards the heroes, but he wanted Crimson to feel safe here. She didn’t know them well enough, or vice versa, for them to be the calm and support she needed. Oh well. What’s done is done.

“Are you ready?” He kept his voice soft and she just nodded. He could see how hard she was trying to stay in her Ladybug persona and decided they needed to get this over with quickly. “Just remember what we talked about. You don’t have to give any information you don’t feel comfortable with and you don’t owe anyone in that room anything alright? If it gets to be too much Robin will take you home.” All he got was another nod.

When they stepped through the doors all conversation stopped and all eyes turned to them. He felt Crimson physically recoil from the stares and let go of her hand to step in front and shield her better. Looking around at the occupants he saw mostly curiosity, which was expected. What made absolutely no sense was the anger Aquaman was projecting. Of all of them Batman hadn’t expected him to have a problem.

“Is there something you’d like to say?” He’d fully blocked Crimson from his view and Aquaman turned his glare to Batman.

“Of all the magic you could possibly tolerate, how could you be so stupid as to allow the Miraculous into Gotham? It’s bad enough you would put the entire world at risk but putting them in the hands of children? You must have gone mad.” Everyone else in the room just looked confused. Batman had a feeling he was going to regret his next question.

“And what exactly do you know about the Miraculous?” Aquaman seemed to be trying to glare through him at the girl behind him but eventually seemed to compose himself enough to answer.

“The Miraculous sank Atlantis. That’s all I need to know.” Well that explained a lot. Now he had to figure out how to deescalate the situation without telling him to suck it up and deal with it. One thing that happened thousands of years ago wasn’t a reason to treat his daughter like this. Before he could come up with anything Plagg appeared.

“No, I sank Atlantis because you refused to feed me properly. Your ignorance, hubris, and refusal to listen to me caused me to lose control. The Miraculous are what saved your people from your stupidity.” It was official, he should have just allowed Bee to come. She may have venomed everyone in the room, but it probably wouldn’t have near the fallout this was going to.

“How dare you!”

“Wait.” Crimson’s voice was calm and firm and amazingly everyone stopped and listened. “Plagg what do you mean he refused to feed you properly?” Plagg huffed and settled on her shoulder.

“I told him that I needed a specific diet and he refused to meet my needs. I told him that if he wouldn’t give me what I required, he needed to renounce me and he refused to do that as well. He also forbade me from talking when I tried to explain why.” Now Crimson was the one glaring at Aquaman. It was obvious no one else in the room had any idea what was going on.

“They said they needed cheese, I gave them cheese.”

“That was not cheese!” Crimson was frowning between the two of them before she addressed Aquaman.

“What kind of cheese was it exactly?” He mumbled something and her look hardened. “Say that louder please.”

“Vegan cheese.”

“Which by definition is not cheese!” Plagg seemed offended by the very thought and Crimson stroked their head and whispered something to calm them down. When she seemed certain Plagg wouldn’t interfere again she turned her focus back to the Atlantian. The calculating look in her eyes should have put him on his guard.

“How did you end up with Plagg’s Miraculous in the first place?” Her tone was soothing and he could feel a trap being set. He considered intervening for a moment before deciding that everyone in this room needed to take Crimson seriously. If this was the only way for it to happen, so be it.

“I bought it off a trader. He had no idea what it was.”

“Did you?”

“Not then no. Once I put on the ring that little ingrate appeared.” Plagg hissed at him from Crimson’s shoulder and she didn’t stop him. She just smiled sweetly.

“So you decided to use a powerful magical artifact you knew nothing about, but you blame the Miraculous for what happened?” There was no judgement in her voice, just curiosity. Batman had no idea how she managed that.

“It is not my fault that entitled fur ball threw a tantrum and decided to wipe Atlantis off the map.” Crimson just continued smiling and using that too sweet tone.

“It is actually. If you had listened to Plagg, at all, you would know why. However, I’ll be happy to correct your ignorance now.” Aquaman started sputtering in indignation and Crimson’s expression hardened. “You refused to listen then but this time you aren’t being given the option. As Plagg’s holder at the time you could order them to keep silent. You have no such power over me. Now shut up and pay attention.” Nightwing and Red Hood were looking at the girl like she’d turned into a pod person and Batman could understand why. Robin simply stood beside her with a proud smirk on his face. “When the Miraculous were created and the Kwami forced to take on a physical form, they all ended up with very specific dietary needs. If those needs are not met they lose control of their powers.”

“I gave them what they asked for.” The stubborn denial was met with a flat look and Batman had to hide a smile as Aquaman dropped his gaze.

“Plagg’s dietary needs can only be met with the blend of nutrients, fats, and proteins present in milk that comes from animals. He prefers cheese both because it’s easier to store and eat. While humans can survive on a completely plant based diet, Plagg cannot. Which I’m sure they told you at least once before you silenced them.” Gone was the timid and shy Marinette. Gone even was the slightly insecure superhero. This was the Guardian, and she was not happy.

“And you believe that nonsense? You’re just a child that assumes those creatures are telling you the truth.” The girl’s mouth tightened slightly but otherwise she gave no hint of her displeasure.

“I may be a child but I know better than to discount the words of a being older than the universe itself. Not only did you play with magic you had no understanding of, you refused to listen to the source of those powers when they tried to help you. You can blame Plagg and the Miraculous all you want. It doesn’t change the fact that you willingly and negligently created the situation. All you had to do was renounce Plagg and none of this would have ever happened.”

The entire room seemed to be holding their breath as Aquaman tried to glare Crimson Bat into submission. Eventually even he realized it wouldn’t work so he turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Well, that could have gone worse. Crimson took a deep breath before scanning everyone else in the room. Batman tried to hide his amusement as quite a few of them flinched.

“I apologize for the distraction. It’s very nice to meet you all.” And just like that she was beaming at all of them looking like the epitome of innocence and good humor. All the bats and Wonder Woman burst out laughing at the air of confusion that overtook the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this is my Aquaman headcanon and PSA for why you shouldn’t write and post things after going two days with no sleep.
> 
> So Aquaman is telepathic, how telepathic depends on which iteration of DC lore you’re using. I’m going with sea creatures, amphibians, and reptiles like alligators, water snakes, etc… Now, since there’s a lot we don’t know about deep sea flora and fauna that’s more where I start just making crap up.
> 
> For my headcanon there are both extremely long living creatures as well as some with what I refer to as imprinted memory (No idea if that’s a technical term or not, but I doubt it). It’s basically memories that are passed down through blood lines. Since Aquaman spent most of his early life not knowing about Atlantis he had to learn it’s history. Given the fact that people are both short lived and notoriously unreliable narrators he decided to use his telepathic connection to get it from a better source. During this he found out that just after Atlantis sank some of its citizens decided to create a record of the event by storing their memories in animals with imprinted memory so that there would always be a first hand account. Aquaman found those creatures and basically downloaded those memories into his own mind. That’s why he knows so much about it and acts like it was actually him in that situation.


	85. Chapter 85

Red Hood watched as the Justice League remained mute. It was fun to watch them flounder but when he looked back at Crimson Bat he could see her losing her confidence. The longer they just stood there and stared at her the more she shrank in on herself. The bright smile she’d started with dimmed until there was only a ghost of it left.

“I didn’t mean to cause problems. I’ll leave if you want.” Robin looked like he was ready to murder everyone in the room but her uncertain tone finally snapped Superman out of his stupor.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, we just weren’t… that is we were expecting…” He glanced at Robin before clearing his throat. “We’re happy to have you here.” Red Hood heard Nightwing giggle beside him and rolled his eyes before whispering.

“Hundred bucks says he’s trying to adopt her before we leave.” His brother scoffed.

“You’re on. He’s going to try and set her up with Connor.” Red Hood scowled even though no one could see it. Over his dead body. Nightwing was side eyeing him with a smirk. “I said he’d try. I didn’t say we’d let him.” It was a good thing he was wearing his helmet or the evil smirk on his face would have caught Batman’s attention.

“That’s very kind of you.” Crimson was beaming at all of them and a few of them actually looked stunned. “Batman said you had some questions for me as well as some concerns. I’ll be happy to speak with you but I may not be able to answer everything.” She actually sounded sorry about that even though they’d all told her she didn’t owe anyone here an explanation. This was a simple meet and greet and the second anyone started pressuring her for answers they’d be out of there.

“Well now that we know you hold the power that destroyed Atlantis you will need to be heavily monitored.” Of course Flash would be the one to act like he had any control. Plagg hissed at him while Crimson cocked her head with a frown.

“First, I don’t consent to being monitored. Not now, not ever. Second, I hold the power of Creation not Destruction. Third, Plagg didn’t destroy Atlantis, he merely relocated it. I can understand your concern but I cannot allow you to interfere, especially when you have no real understanding of what it is you want to control. Batman will continue to be aware of my actions and will update you if he feels it is necessary. That is all you need to know.” Robin looked like a proud mama as Crimson held her ground while Batman wore a small smile. The Flash turned to Superman.

“And we’re just going to be fine with that?” The Man of Steel glanced at Wonder Woman before turning to address the rest of the members.

“Yes we are. There are some things in this universe that can’t and shouldn’t be controlled by our organization. It’s better for everyone that the Miraculous remain a mystery to us.” Holy hell, what kind of dirt did Wonder Woman have on him to get him to say that? Even Batman was looking at him like he’d lost his mind. Crimson turned her smile back up to full wattage. Seriously, he didn’t think it was possible to not be affected by her infectious cheer.

“I’m very happy we’re in agreement. I respect all of you and the work you do and hope we can continue a respectful and professional discourse even if I can’t work with you directly.” Nightwing leaned over to whisper.

“That had to be the most polite F you I’ve ever witnessed. I didn’t think our sweet new baby sister had it in her.” Red Hood could only shake his head. Even he could tell that their ‘sweet baby sister’ had a feral streak despite the world trying desperately to beat it out of her. It popped up in small doses at times like this but he had a feeling that all it would take to release it fully was one good threat to someone she felt responsible for. The Justice League had no idea how easily they were getting off.

“Now that that’s resolved, Robin why don’t you show Crimson Bat around while the rest of us discuss business.” Batman’s tone sounded slightly off and he realized it was because the man was trying to hide amusement. If any of them had said something like that they’d be in for a lecture. Marinette really was his favorite. As soon as the pair left, the room exploded.

Red Hood just leaned against the wall and watched as the Justice League collectively lost their minds. Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman just waited for them to tire themselves out since it was obvious arguing wouldn’t do any good. When there was finally a lull in the insanity Batman let out a piercing whistle.

“That’s enough. You’ve gotten all the information you’re going to get about the Miraculous and we have other matters to attend to. If you can’t let it go and act like adults I have far more pressing matters to attend to in Gotham.” The sullen silence that greeted him was hilarious. It took a minute but they did move on to other matters. Boring matters as it turned out.

“Let’s go find Crimson and Robin. You know Demon Spawn is going to get her into trouble if we leave them alone too long.” Nightwing let out a snort of laughter but did follow him out of the room.

“She’s got Robin wrapped around her finger and I still have no idea how that happened. Chances of her letting him get away with anything are slim to none.” As much as he hated to admit it his brother was right. None of them could account for the bond that had formed between the two. It was creepy to be honest. “Holy shit… Do you see that?” Red Hood looked around the corner to find Crimson Bat in what looked like a spirited discussion with Aquaman. Spirited but friendly. He decided in that moment to just give up trying to explain the things that happened to and around the girl. No of it made any sense and he wasn’t willing to have an aneurysm trying to understand it.


	86. Chapter 86

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING - Mention of suicidal thoughts

Chloe woke to an insistent tugging on her ear and an insane amount of cramped muscles. What had possessed her to fall asleep in such an uncomfortable chair? The tugging returned and she swatted at the cause.

“I swear to all the powers that be Adrien, if you don’t stop I’ll remove a piece of your anatomy you’re extremely attached to.”

“Somethings wrong.” That wasn’t Adrien. Her eyes snapped open to find an agitated Trixx floating in front of her face. She jumped out of the chair before any thought had fully formed as was in motion towards Syd’s bed. She was thrashing and her expression was a mix of pain and fear. She wasn’t making any noise though, which explained why Chloe hadn’t woken up.

“Syd, wake up! You’re having a nightmare.” Syd flinched at her voice and her thrashing only got worse. Chloe didn’t want to touch her though, not after the last time. Unfortunately when Syd’s flailing caused her to slam her injured wrist into the headboard she didn’t have much of a choice. She could only take a deep breath and hope for the best as she gripped Syd’s forearms. Her eyes shot open but it was obvious she wasn’t seeing anything, just reacting to whatever danger she thought she was it. This was bad. Chloe grabbed the sides of her head to force her to focus. “Syd stop. You’re safe I promise. I need you to breathe for me.” Her eyes kept darting around the room for a few minutes but she wasn’t fighting Chloe’s hold as violently. Finally, she started to seem to see Chloe standing in front of her and the fear was slowly replaced with confusion.

“Chloe? What’s going on? Why do I feel like I got hit by a truck?” The last question was said through a groan and Chloe had to stop herself from letting out a half relieved, half amused laugh.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Syd just frowned at her for a minute before her eyes unfocused in what Chloe recognized as her ‘memory scan’ mode. Then she winced.

“The bomb.”

“Yeah, the bomb. What were you thinking pulling a stunt like that?” Chloe cringed as soon as the words came out. The last thing she wanted was Syd to shut down because she was being lectured, but she just sighed.

“I was thinking, better me than an entire campus full of people.” The words were soft and it was obvious she was expecting to be yelled at. Chloe just rolled her eyes.

“And I suppose you’re going to tell me, again, that you aren’t a hero?” Syd gingerly laid back so she was staring at the ceiling before she answered.

“Being borderline suicidal doesn’t make you heroic. It makes you impulsive and reckless which can sometimes look the same.” Chloe couldn’t even respond to that. Trixx chose that moment to snuggle under Syd’s chin but didn’t say anything either. That wasn’t something she’d even considered, but it was painfully obvious Syd wasn’t joking. She remembered when Mari’s parents turned on her and how worried they’d been that she would hurt herself, but Syd didn’t act broken like that. For all the bad things in her life, she seemed mostly put together. Apparently not.

“What was your nightmare about?” She had no idea why she asked, other than she needed to process before she’d be able to calmly talk about the other issue. Syd’s breath got shallow again for a moment before she controlled it. Probably not the best topic change then.

“I remembered why that cult’s garbage sounds so familiar.” Chloe wasn’t certain if that was the answer to her question or a diversion. Maybe both.

“That’s a good thing isn’t it? It might give us a starting point to tracking down the person running it.”

“William Russ.” The amount of loathing she managed to put into that name was both impressive and worrisome.

“Who’s William Russ?” Syd let out a shuddering breath and Chloe sat down beside her to rub soothing circles on her arms. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” She was silent so long Chloe thought that was the end of it, but eventually Syd grabbed one of her hands and finally looked at her. The haunted look in the girls eyes was frightening.

“You have to promise not to tell anyone.”

“Of course.” Syd just pinned her with an annoyed stare.

“I’m serious Chloe. No one. Not even Mari, and especially not any of the Sirens. Those three will burn Gotham to the ground to find that asshole if they find out and that can’t happen.” Syd’s tone was hard but there was a pleading underneath. As much as she suddenly didn’t want to know, Chloe was sure that Syd needed to talk to someone. She’d been alone her whole life with no one she felt safe confiding in. The least she could do was live up to the trust she was putting in her.

“I won’t tell anyone unless you say I can, I swear.” Syd searched her face for what felt like forever before going back to staring at the ceiling. Chloe just waited, knowing she would talk in her own time. When she finally did it sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

“He’s my brother, and the one that adopted me.”


	87. Chapter 87

Adrien waited impatiently in the Batcave for the others to return from the meeting with the Justice League. He knew why they’d only wanted Mari to go, but he was still worried. It was one of the reasons they’d wanted Plagg to go with her, though the Kwami seemed far too excited about it for that to be their only reason.

“Relax Adrien, if all else fails Damian will just stab anyone that looks at her wrong.” Tim didn’t even look at him and could tell he was tense. He was far more observant when he actually slept.

“I know I’m being paranoid. It’s just after watching what happened in Paris we don’t feel like we can trust anyone else to look after her. We’ve watched her get hurt too many times.” Watching the life and joy fade from her once had been terrible, especially since it had been his fault it started in the first place. He winced just remembering the way Chloe ripped into him when she found out what he’d done. Mari had, of course, forgiven him because he meant well even though his naive ignorance had been the catalyst that destroyed her life. He’d be damned if he was going to let anything happen to her again, especially now that they could see some of that old personality shining through. Honestly, it was like he could finally breathe again.

“I get it. Trust takes time, and even then there are always somethings that are so ingrained that trusting people isn’t possible. You’ve all landed in the house of trauma so we’re all pretty familiar with the ‘it makes no sense, but I’m doing it anyway’ problem.” It was obviously meant as a joke but Adrien could hear the truth underneath. Hearing what most of them had gone through made his life look like a fairytale for the most part. Except the whole having a supervillain for a father issue. Before he could respond, a portal opened on the other end of the cave.

“I still don’t see what’s so funny.” Mari stepped through first with Damian right at her heels. Dick and Jason were next, both too busy laughing to respond. Bruce trailed them looking like he was just done with everything.

“Ignore them. They’ve apparently got one braincell between them and it appears to be on vacation.” Yeah, Bruce was definitely ready for this day to be over.

“Oh come on, even you had to have gotten a kick at the look on Super Clone’s face when Ladybug turned him down. That was priceless.” Jason was barely understandable through the laughter. Tim narrowed his eyes.

“Are you saying that Conner asked her out?” Tim’s question brought answers from everyone at the same time. Bruce and Mari said no, while all three boys said yes. Mari leveled them all with a withering stare and he had to keep from laughing as they straightened up under her look.

“If you think that’s an appropriate way to ask someone on a date I feel sorry for anyone you have or will try to be in a relationship with. Emphasis on try.” Damian looked thoughtful but the other two just gaped at her. While they continued to impersonate fish, Mari pulled out her phone and frowned at it.

“What’s wrong?” She looked confused and concerned and Adrien was just hoping none of their old classmates somehow got her number.

“Chloe texted me. Apparently Syd came up with a name for you to search in relation to the cult.” Tim perked up at that. They’d hit a dead end so any new information was good and bad. Good because it gave Tim something to work with, bad because it meant he’d likely be awake until he found the answers they were looking for or hit another dead end.

“What’s the name?” The possibility of a new lead seemed to have the same effect as an espresso shot. It was cute the way Tim was actually bouncing in the chair.

“William Russ. She also said that Syd doesn’t want to see anyone so no one else is supposed to try to check on her.” Well that didn’t sound good.

“It’s not surprising, Syd’s always gone dark when there’s a problem, and she hates being around people when she’s injured. On the streets any sign of weakness can be a death sentence.” Jason finally found his voice again apparently.

“At least she’s letting Chloe stay with her.” Mari sounded worried, and not just normal worried.

“You’ve got one of your feelings don’t you?” For as long as he’d known her Mari’s instincts seemed to warn her before major shifts. She just hummed an acknowledgement.

“Well that’s not good.” Tim’s voice brought everyone’s attention to him but he was just going through files on the computer in his own little world.

“What’s not good exactly?” Bruce’s prompt caused Tim to blink at them in confusion. He must not have realized he said that out loud.

“A few things, but mainly that he seems to have completely disappeared about four and a half years ago. He either changed his name somewhere else, got a new identity, or died without anyone claiming the body. I’ll have to dig through a lot of databases to even guess which. All the information that there is, is rather disturbing.” He went back to reading and Bruce let out an exasperated sigh.

“Disturbing in what way?” It was obvious he was used to conducting discussions this way.

“Well first there’s the CPS file.” That was it. He was still reading. Jason picked up the questioning.

“In the system or abuse allegations?” Nothing. “Focus Replacement.” Tim offered him a half hearted glare.

“Abuse, but he’s named as the possible abuser. Apparently his sister, who was ten years younger, went to the doctor for normal school shots and he noticed a lot of cuts and bruises. He wound up doing x-rays and found a lot of badly healed fractures, including spiral fractures on all her limbs. It doesn’t say why he thought it was William rather than the parents but CPS was about to launch an investigation when the girl apparently died from pneumonia.” It was obvious he thought the timeline was too convenient, and Adrien had to agree. “What CPS was able to gather before those in charge decided it wasn’t a priority since there were no other children in the house and William seemed not to suffer abuse, is just bizarre.”

“Bizarre in what way?” Mari had made her way over to read and asked the question standing right next to his shoulder. He blinked at her in confusion for a moment before answering.

“Just that they searched the house for any signs of what had gone on and couldn’t find any trace of another child living there. No toys, no clothes, no pictures, nadda. It’s like she never existed in the first place. One of the social workers said the parents seemed unconcerned and claimed it was just too painful to keep anything. Mind you this was two days after the girl’s supposed death. She also said William just seemed smug throughout the entire search and questioning. Then there’s the fact that his parents died in a suspicious fire the day after his eighteenth birthday, leaving him everything. Another coincidence.”

The rest of the people passed concerned looks around and Mari and Tim just continued to look through files. On the plus side it sounded like the exact type of person they should be looking for.


	88. Chapter 88

“You see it too don’t you?” Marinette could only blink blearily at Tim as she tried to process his question. They’d been staring at William Russ’s files for hours at this point. Tim had been able to find his current alias, William Kade. He seemed very attached to his first name and Marinette made a mental note to ask Syd if that was something they could use. Oh right, Syd, that’s what he meant.

“The time line fits.” And she’d been trying very hard not to concentrate on that since she figured it out.

“Do you think we should tell the others?” Marinette was shaking her head before he even finished the question.

“Syd didn’t mention it for a reason and we should respect that. Besides them knowing doesn’t help us find him now, it will just cloud the issue and make everyone even more upset.” She waited as Tim mulled that over. She was fairly certain he had a few stray thoughts intruding by the way his facial expression kept changing.

“I suppose you’re right. I don’t even want to think about what Selina is likely to do if she finds out about this.” He was staring off at nothing for a moment. “Did you really have a crush on Adrien?” It took her a minute to decide that yes, she had heard that correctly. Where did that question even come from?

“Yes… No… Sort of. It’s complicated.” Much like Adrien’s crush on Ladybug, it wasn’t really a romantic thing though neither of them realized that for quite awhile. “It’s just… Adrien was the first person who really went out of his way to ask to be my friend. I’m sure it sounds stupid, but with everyone else we started hanging out more by default than anything else. We were in the same class, needed to do a project, whatever. No one ever put any real effort into it. But at first, I didn’t like him due to a misunderstanding, and he had to overcome that. The fact that he actively sought me out to apologize and ask if we could try again… I’d never had that before. I confused that feeling of actually being wanted with a crush. After that I did what I thought people did with a crush, and what my friends encouraged me to do. It took me a long time to understand what a real crush was.”

“So you don’t like him that way at all?” His tone was strange and she couldn’t figure out what it was, but she shook her head. Tim just gave a hum of acknowledgement and began staring at the screen again.

“He really likes spending time with you.” She saw a slight flush on Tim’s face and finally figured out what he’d been aiming for. She really was tired. “You should show him some of your favorite places to take pictures. You could both use some time to destress a bit.” All she got was another hum but she was fairly certain he’d take her advice.

“So according to the files, William Kade is still living in Idaho so either he went completely off grid or he switched to an alias we haven’t found yet. It looks like he was in a number of different cults before this though which fits well with the theory that he’s in charge of this one. Maybe we should be looking into some of those to see if we can find his backers. No way he’s financing this by himself and the people he’s recruiting here aren’t likely to be able to come up with that type of capital.” Given that he was playing to the lowest common denominator, Tim was probably right.

“We might also want to look to any funds or people with funds going ‘missing’ from those groups. Given everything we’ve found so far, murder and stealing is just another day for him.” Tim was searching before she even finished. This was one giant rabbit hole and every time they thought they were getting close something else collapsed into a dead end. It was beyond frustrating.

“Tikki?” The Kwami just appeared and Marinette was too tired to wonder where she’d been.

“Yes Marinette?” She hesitated.

“Could you go ask Syd if there’s anything she knows that might make this man easier to find? Don’t try and make her answer if she doesn’t want to, but we could really use her insight if she’s up for it. Oh and don’t wake her if she’s asleep.” Tikki just nodded and disappeared again. She really hoped the question wouldn’t upset Syd, but at the same time the longer he was out there the more people were in danger. Syd especially. They couldn’t afford to leave resources on the table at this point.

“You both should be in bed. Don’t make me get Alfred.” Selina was standing at the entrance glowering at them. Tim was too focused on the computer and Marinette didn’t even think he heard her. She tried to respond but all that came out was a yawn. “That’s exactly my point, lets go.” Marinette looked over to where Tim was putting in search parameters. Even with the supercomputer it would take hours to come back with results.

“Just give him a few more minutes to finish inputting the data, then he should be good to go.” Selina frowned at her but nodded and Marinette moved to get up but was hit with a wave of dizziness. Maybe she wasn’t fully recovered from healing Syd. Wait, when was the last time she ate? How long had they been in the batcave?

“This is why you shouldn’t push yourself so hard. You’re not the only ones who can research and you certainly shouldn’t be killing yourselves over it. Not to mention the last time Tim stayed up this long he ended up coming up with endless amounts of proof for things he wasn’t even supposed to be looking into. Please tell me you’re still working on this William Russ problem.” Selina’s exasperation was clear and Marinette blinked at her before checking, again, what Tim was entering.

“Yes. We’re trying to trace his cash flow mostly.” She yawned again and Selina came over to lift her out of the chair. “It’s fine really. I can walk.” The woman just huffed.

“Ten to one you pass out or get lost on the way to your room. I’m taking you. And I’ll be back for you mister caffeine drip.” Tim still didn’t respond and she just rolled her eyes. “What I wouldn’t give for one of Bruce’s kids to have some concept of limits and self care.” Marinette wanted to respond to that but the swaying motion as Selina carried her was making it much harder to stay awake.


	89. Chapter 89

As Selina carried Marinette out of the Batcave, Damian peeled away from the shadows to follow. Well that was a bit creepy.

“Since when do you keep such late hours?” Unless they were patrolling Damian kept a strict schedule. Mostly to make sure he had enough time and energy to train.

“She’s my responsibility.” He said it as though it should be obvious, but Selina just frowned at him.

“Since when?” She knew that he’d warmed up to Mari but this still seemed rather extreme. He gave an annoyed Tt. Great, she was about to get a lecture.

“Before my Grandfather assimilated the League of Assassins into his network they were tasked with protecting the Guardians of the Miraculous. The Guardians refused to let him make a wish to become immortal and he broke off the arrangement. Had that not happened it’s very likely the temple wouldn’t have fallen. Had the temple not fallen, Marinette’s life likely wouldn’t have been destroyed. So she’s my responsibility.” That was… very not like him. There had to be more.

“You’re not responsible for your Grandfather’s actions and since when do you worry about how those actions affect other people?” She winced as soon as the words came out, but it was the truth. Damian had been taught since birth to think of nothing but the things his mother and grandfather deemed important. Damian just shrugged.

“Despite what you all think I have learned things since living here. Besides, the Kwami are ancient beings with the ability to literally remake the universe and they chose Marinette to be their new Guardian. Regardless of my initial impression of her that speaks to her true nature. She’s still too weak to protect herself, so it’s my responsibility.” Selina really wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“So you knew about the Kwami and Miraculous before we found out about Paris?” He nodded. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Information is a commodity and there didn’t seem to be an urgent reason to mention it.” God he was frustrating. Wait a minute…

“Didn’t you say something about the possibility of Hawkmoth being meta? If you knew the whole time why would you do that?” The boy just smirked.

“As I said information is a commodity. The misdirection was necessary.” Yeah, DNA or not, there was no doubt he was Bruce’s son. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

“Can you get the door please?” When Damian opened the door she had to hold in a laugh. Adrien, Kagami, Luka, and Jason were all asleep on the floor in a nest of blankets. Damian just scowled at the pile. “Looks like you’re not the only one protecting her.” He rolled his eyes.

“That’s not protection. Someone could walk in here and slit her throat and none of them would even wake up.” Selina just sighed as she laid Mari in the middle of the pile. She immediately clung onto Adrien who started purring. Luka and Kagami unconsciously moved in closer while Jason actually grabbed one of her hands.

“There are more things she needs to be protected from than just violence Damian.” As she moved away all the Kwami appeared and settled on the group. Well, all but Tikki, Trixx, and Pollen who she assumed were with Chloe and Syd. Damian was still frowning at them but it looked more thoughtful than before. “You should get some sleep too.”

“Perhaps.” Selina rolled her eyes before turning to leave. She was well aware that Damian wouldn’t settle while she was there to watch him. As she shut the door he did sit cross legged near Mari’s head. When she looked down the hall she found Dick forcing Tim into his room.

“I don’t care when the computer will be finished, you’re sleeping for no less than eight hours. I’ll sick Alfred on you if I have to.” Tim grumbled incoherently as he stumbled into the room. Dick resurfaced a few minutes later.

“And what has you up at this time?” Dick actually jumped and let out a squeak.

“Where did you even come from?” She just raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve gotten into the habit of checking on everyone if I wake up. Call it paranoia. Jason, Tim, and Damian weren’t in their rooms so I went to get them. I can’t find the other two though.” She gestured back to Marinette’s room and Dick looked both relieved and worried.

“You have a problem with them being with Marinette?” He frowned in thought for a moment before answering.

“It’s not that exactly. I’m just worried. Doesn’t it feel like we’re all being pushed towards something? I don’t know. Ever since Mari got here things have been happening too quickly. I mean, look at Damian. How does that even happen?” He had a point. At the same time Selina had a feeling it had more to do with the Kwami and the fact that Marinette seemed to have fate and chance working overtime around her than anything else.

“Damian has his own reasons. As to the rest… I can feel what you mean, but I don’t think what’s happening is a problem. It seems to me that the universe is trying to balance things out.”

“In what way?” He just sounded confused.

“Given some of the things Tikki and Plagg have said about the Miraculous upsetting Marinette’s life, and the others to a certain degree, it seems highly likely that this is like a whiplash effect. Mari lost almost everyone in her life because of the Miraculous working in Paris. Now it’s trying to reset and give her back some of what she lost. I for one am glad the universe chose to do that here.” It was as good a theory as any, and she was dead certain Marinette wasn’t a problem.

“It would certainly explain things. I just hope things slow down enough for the rest of us to catch up. The current amount of chaos is rather draining.”


	90. Chapter 90

Bruce walked into the training room and frowned in concern as he looked around. Adrien, Luka, and Kagami were there. Damian was there. Marinette wasn’t. Granted no one seemed worried or agitated but it was still strange.

“Marinette took Cass back to her room to discuss this Chosen business.” Jason just seemed to appear at his side to make that comment. Bruce nodded.

“That explains why Damian is here and doesn’t look ready to murder anyone. Cass is the only person he’d trust to protect something properly.” Selina had filled him in on his son’s thought process and Bruce was honestly impressed by it. Annoyed that Damian had withheld information sure, but any proof that the boy was developing a moral compass was a good development. Jason let out an amused snort.

“Yeah, it’s still creepy the way he’s latched onto her though. Anytime I get near the girl Demon Spawn pops up out of nowhere to glare at me. It’s getting annoying to be honest.” Before Bruce could respond Tim wandered in with a mug of coffee looking half dead. They really needed to find some way to get him to slow down. He looked around blearily not finding what he was looking for. Adrien noticed and went towards him, obviously concerned. The strange part was when Kagami followed and began what had to have been a lecture judging but the look on Tim’s face. They both led him out of the room.

“Do I want to know what that was?” Jason shrugged at him.

“Apparently they’re all used to seeing Mari run herself into the ground and trying to fix it. Those two seem to have transferred the same energy into getting the Replacement to take care of himself. They don’t know a lost cause when they see one.” Bruce just glared at him and Jason gave him a shiteating grin before walking away. Once again, this crap is why Marinette was his favorite.

“I get that she’s a damaged kid with black hair and blue eyes, but do you really think it’s a good idea to have miniature gods running around the manor?” Bruce looked over to find Steph leaning against the wall and sighed.

“Time will tell. Marinette needs a supportive environment and this is the best place. Where else can she go where people will really understand her?” Other people might understand some of her issues but add in the hero business and it was an extremely small pool.

“The others said Wonder Woman offered to take her.” Bruce frowned at her.

“The Kwami vetoed that idea. Why don’t you like Mari?” Steph blinked at him before looking away.

“It’s not that I don’t like her, she’s a good kid. Ever since we came back though it feels like somethings about to happen. I’m not sure it’s connected to her but honestly if it isn’t I’d think it would be better for her not to be here for it anyway. I don’t know, it’s weird.” So Dick wasn’t the only one who felt that… interesting.

“I don’t think splitting up is the answer. I also don’t think it’s just Marinette that’s causing the feeling. Given Syd’s connection to our current problem she’s likely a part of it, not to mention the others from Paris. Unless there’s a concrete reason to send someone away I believe this is the best option.” Honestly he wanted to send Syd somewhere to heal but he had a feeling everyone would object to that at this point. Chloe still hadn’t surfaced from the room and Marinette obviously wanted to monitor her recovery. Selina wanted the girl here just because of her tendency to disappear. Given she couldn’t even walk at the moment he wasn’t certain what she thought was going to happen.

“Fair enough. I for one will be wearing body armor until this shit dies down.” That was actually not a bad idea.

“Just make sure none of the metal from the fasteners or your weapons are touching your skin. This cult uses cattle prods.” Steph rolled her eyes and walked off muttering to herself. She ended up going over to talk with Jason and Damian while Luka just leaned against the wall and listened Bruce had no idea what to make of that boy. If it was anyone else he’d say he was too quiet but for some reason it seemed more natural. Chloe and Adrien were willing to trust him around Marinette so Bruce was willing to give him a chance, but it was more than a little unsettling the way he just watched everyone without really getting involved in the conversation most of the time. Granted, Bruce wasn’t used to quiet kids except Cass so that didn’t help.

Marinette and Cass wandered in a few minutes later. He noticed Nooroo on Cass’s shoulder and the Kwami looked worried. She went to the others but Marinette actually made a beeline for Bruce.

“I take it Cass agreed to be a holder?” Marinette shook her head at his question and he gave her a confused look.

“Neither one of them is ready for that. I still have Nooroo’s Miraculous but they both agreed to try being together. I don’t know Cass well enough to know if or how it will help her, but after the way Gabriel treated them Nooroo will benefit greatly by being around someone who doesn’t want to yell at or abuse them.” The Kwami in question shot Marinette a look and she just gave them an encouraging smile.

“I need to ask you something.” She just blinked at him so he continued. “Both Dick and Steph have made comments about things feeling off, or like something is coming. They think it’s centered around you. Any ideas what that something might be.” She cocked her head as though listening for something.

“I doubt it’s actually coming from me. Neither one of them has been around me long enough to develop that kind of intuition, especially Steph.” She hesitated. “I can probably figure out where it is coming from if you want me to.”

“And how would you do that?” She looked nervous for some reason. It must have something to do with magic. Ever since she heard he wasn’t a fan of it she tried to keep anything ‘weird’ to a minimum, minus the Kwami of course.

“As the Guardian I can sense shifts in the balance far better than most people. That’s all feelings like this really are, but for most people they can only get that vague impression of change. If it’s strong enough of a shift that at least two people are feeling it I should be able to trace it to an object or person.” He just gave her a nod and she closed her eyes to concentrate. The longer she did the more confused she looked. When she opened her eyes she frowned in worry and looked at the group across the room.

“What is it?” She started as if she forgot he was there.

“Damian.” Bruce just blinked at her for a second before letting out a resigned sigh.

“I really hope he doesn’t try to kill someone again.” That was the last thing he needed right now.

“No, he’s not the aggressor, he’s the target. What I don’t understand is that whatever is coming for him is connected to the cult but not Syd. It also hates the Miraculous.” Well that was not what he expected.


	91. Chapter 91

By the end of the week Bruce was fairly certain Damian was going to try and kill someone just to get out of the protective bubble they were trying to keep him in. In retrospect he probably shouldn’t have told everyone what Marinette had said. Dick was constantly hovering regardless of where they were. Tim had the security cameras from the school fed to the Batcave so they could make sure nothing happened there. Even Jason took to shadowing him between classes just in case. Outside of school no less than three people were with him period. While it was nice to see everyone working together, he needed to get them to tone it down so no one got stabbed.

“Dad?” He looked up to see Marinette hovering anxiously in the doorway with Damian scowling at him beside her. “Do you have time to talk?” It took him a moment to process the question. Mostly because all the others just barged in and demanded his attention.

“Of course. What about?”

“You need to tell those imbeciles to leave me alone.” Damian’s voice was full of annoyance and disdain. Marinette cleared her throat pointedly and nudged him toward the chairs. He let out an aggravated huff before taking one and Marinette sat next to him.

“Damian’s feeling a bit smothered by the current security precautions that are being taken. While he understands that we’re all just concerned about him we were hoping to discuss other options.” He couldn’t hide a small smile at the diplomacy. Once she regained her confidence he had a feeling she’d be a formidable negotiator.

“Did you have something in mind?” She hesitated and glanced at Damian who just gave a curt nod. He wasn’t certain if he should be worried that they’d come up with something together or grateful that Marinette had most likely talked him out of maiming the others.

“I know you’re not fond of magic, but the Kwami are all rather fond of Damian.” So they were in on it as well, this should be interesting. “Instead of having everyone else disrupt their schedules and make it painfully obvious that we think Damian is a target, Wayzz and Kaalki have agreed to stay with him to protect and pull him out of danger if necessary. He’ll be safe and the person or people after him won’t know we’re on to them.” While he must have agreed to this Damian still looked less than thrilled about the plan. Anything that seemed like cowardice went completely against his training and nature.

“And how will that work exactly?” They couldn’t afford to have the Kwami panic and reveal themselves over something little like a problem at school.

“Wayzz knows Damian’s capabilities and will be feeling for enemies at the same skill level or higher. If they sense someone they’ll warn Damian so he can contact backup. On the off chance we can’t get to him in time Wayzz will shield him while Kaalki opens a portal to get him somewhere safe. We could also set up a trap so that when this person approaches Damian Kaalki can transport them to us so we can subdue and question them.” Damian was most likely hoping for the second scenario, but both were viable options.

“So you plan on giving Damian two Miraculous?” Marinette looked confused for a moment but it was Damian that ended up answering.

“I am apparently not trustworthy enough.” That was not expected. Marinette let out a frustrated sigh.

“That is not true. Wielding multiple Miraculous takes a toll on the user and we have no idea how long this will be necessary. Not to mention Wayzz will be better able to protect you if they don’t have to answer to you.” There was something else. He could hear it in her tone but didn’t want to bring it up with Damian still in the room.

“You’re certain they can sense who or whatever it is that’s after him?” She just nodded. If she had doubts she likely would have given more details. “I’ll talk to the others and get them to back off. Then I’ll have Alfred do it so they actually listen.” Damian scoffed and Marinette actually laughed.

“I’m going to go speak to Cass about possible methods of containment.” Damian left but Marinette stayed and started fidgeting.

“There’s something else?” He kept his tone gentle but she still flinched and wouldn’t look at him.

“I… Luka and Kagami are both supposed to be leaving.” He waited but she didn’t say anything else.

“I take it you want them to stay?” Her eyes came up to his for a moment before looking down again. He really wished he understood the way her mind worked.

“Yes but I thought you might as well. Because of me they know more than enough to be dangerous to you and you don’t know them well enough to trust them. I don’t want you to have one more thing to worry about.” Great, she could read him better than he could read her.

“It had been on my mind. What do you suggest?” She opened her mouth a few times before answering.

“They both want to stay. Luka isn’t a problem since he’s eighteen but Kagami needs her mother’s permission. We think it would go over better if the request came directly from you. She says that you’ve met her before.” He had, a few times. He wasn’t sure he knew how to convince her this was a good idea though.

“Why don’t I talk to Kagami and try to find the best way to approach her mother?” The relieved smile he got made him wonder how she thought he’d react.


	92. Chapter 92

“So what’s the real reason you don’t want to give Damian a Miraculous?” Marinette just blinked at him for a moment and Bruce waited.

“Everything I said was true.” She sounded hurt and slightly worried. Maybe it was one of those things she still felt she had to keep secret.

“I’m sure it was but there’s another reason. It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me.” He saw her start to tear up and mentally started cursing at himself. He should know better than to push her by now. At the same time he needed her to know that he wasn’t going to punish or get rid of her just because she couldn’t tell him everything.

“Remember how I said anyone can use a Miraculous?” He just nodded. She was rubbing her palm with her thumb again. “I was wrong. It’s not something I’ve ever encountered before, and neither have the Kwami, but Damian somehow resonates counter to the Miraculous. None of us are sure what would happen if he were to wield one but it’s unlikely it would be good.” Bruce let out a sigh. He was almost positive Talia had something to do with that.

“You need to tell Damian.” She blinked at him in confusion. “He needs to know the danger so that he doesn’t try to use one in an emergency. I doubt he would go behind your back, but if something were to happen and he felt it was the only option he might try to use one as a last resort.” Given how protective he was with Marinette and the Kwami Bruce could certainly see it.

“I didn’t consider that. He already thinks I don’t trust him. I didn’t want to make him feel different as well but you’re probably right.” She was frowning at the floor in thought this time and he waited. It seemed to work out better when he didn’t interrupt her process. She finally peeked up at him. “You don’t think he’ll be upset?”

“No I don’t. Disappointed maybe but again, the risk of him not knowing is a far more dangerous problem. Given everything he’s been through I think he’ll take this news better than you think.”

“Okay.” She actually seemed relieved but he wasn’t sure why. It could just be keeping things from people but it felt like more than that.

“You know if you’re ever questioning a decision or just unsure of yourself you can talk to me, or any of us, if it’s something you can share. You don’t have to do everything by yourself.” From the way she was looking at him it was obvious that hadn’t occurred to her. It was also something she’d probably need time to process. “While we’re here, I wanted to ask you about Luka.”

“What about him?” He sighed and tried to figure out exactly what it was he wanted to ask. He’d hoped that just bringing him up would get some sort of explanation.

“The others are all fairly easy to read. Their motivations and attitudes are in the open. Luka isn’t like that and I’ll be honest, it worries me.” He watched her face to see if he saw anything to make him even more concerned. Given her tendency to praise people regardless of whether they deserved it, he was more interested in her reactions than anything else. All he saw was confusion.

“Luka? He hasn’t done anything problematic has he?” He could tell that even the thought wouldn’t properly form for her.

“No. He hasn’t done much of anything at all. But it’s obvious that he’s very observant and I can’t tell what he thinks of us, or is planning to do with the information he’s getting.”

“Oh. I guess that makes sense. Luka has never talked much. Music makes more sense to him than words so he doesn’t say a lot because he can’t always find the words he needs. Given your worry about some of the others being too loose with their talk I would think it would be a good thing.” Well she wasn’t wrong. “As to you not knowing what he’s planning… I guess that’s just a matter of trust. I trust him, but I don’t expect you to right away.”

“Fair enough.” It wasn’t much of a reassurance but it was more than he’d expected. Maybe it was just his paranoia at work but the boy was so different from any of his kids it had him on edge. He’d have to ask Cass to keep an eye on him. She was the most likely to be able to read him. “So do you want to tell me what you and Tim are hiding about Syd’s connection to the cult?” Marinette’s head shot up and she looked on the verge of a panic attack. That could not be good.

“We weren’t trying to hide anything… it doesn’t affect us finding them… and Syd obviously has her reasons for not… we thought it would do more harm than good… I’m so sorry!” Apparently he should have waited and asked Tim after he hadn’t slept.

“Marinette, I’m not angry with you, or Tim. Just breathe for me okay?” She nodded and did seem to manage to even out her rhythm but she still looked like she was about to pass out. “If you say that what you found could cause problems, I believe you. If you say it’s not necessary for me to know, I trust you. I don’t like it, but I don’t believe you’d hold back necessary information.” And she was tearing up again. What did he do this time? Before he could even try to come up with a plan she was around the desk and hugging him.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that the fewer people who know the better. It will just impair everyone’s ability to act rationally. If it could help, or if it becomes an issue, I would tell you.” Bruce could feel her shaking but she sounded relieved. He didn’t want to risk saying the wrong thing so he just hugged her back.


End file.
